It’s Science, Period

When it comes to holistic health and wellness, women tend to get the short end of the stick. It’s high time to right the scales by taking a gender-sensitive approach to healthcare, starting with promoting a dialogue about menstrual health

Let’s not mince words: healthcare is mainly designed for men. Researchers have been focusing on male biology for centuries, studying predominantly male cells, animals and humans, and assuming that men and women are physiologically similar. Which isn’t true. Men, for instance, have a 24‑hour hormonal rhythm while women have a 28‑day one.

And when a woman’s care is based on a male biology, the consequences can be severe—and potentially fatal. Women, for example, may not exhibit the same “default” symptoms as men in the case of heart disease, which can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, an alarming finding of a UK study is that less than

2.5 per cent of publicly funded research is dedicated to women’s reproductive health. Considering that women make up 51 per cent of the global population, that’s appalling.

A Tatler friend reveals that she went through physical and mental distress for many years as nobody could diagnose the cause of her painful periods, which caused her to regularly miss school and cancel events; one such episode even crippled her in the middle of the dance floor. She consulted with several gynaecologists across the Middle East and Singapore over the years. Still, they failed to provide her with long‑term solutions and concrete results, as painkillers and hormonal birth control could not relieve the symptoms. After seeing a gynaecologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, who recommended an ultrasound, she was finally diagnosed with an endometriosis cyst.

She is not alone in her experience. According to a 2017 survey by market research and data analytics company Yougov, 87 per cent of women in Singapore report having period pains, with 78 per cent saying that their symptoms have caused them to be unable to work. Despite this, most women brush them off as nothing serious, gritting their teeth and getting through the painful monthly periods with a hot water bottle or a couple of painkillers.

THE JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

Over‑the‑counter pain medications can alleviate tension, but associate professor Chan Shiao‑yng, senior consultant at the National University Hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department, maternal fetal medicine division, believes that it is more important to find individualised solutions. In some cases, this means focusing on hormones.

A clinical practitioner, Dr Chan acknowledges that while not all women are suitable candidates for birth control pills, the quality of life can increase tenfold when hormones are administered appropriately. “Whether it’s the Covid‑19 vaccine or hormonal birth control pills, everything has its risks and benefits,” she says. “These pills help you feel normal rather than miserable every month for as long as you have periods.”

MINDFUL “MENSTRUBATION”

Exercising and eating the right foods can also help combat period pain (see sidebar on the next page), as can having an orgasm with a partner or by yourself. Besides, masturbation can help you achieve mindfulness.

A clinical study conducted by leading premium intimate pleasure products company Wow Tech Group found that masturbating during menstruation, or “menstrubation”, in particular, dramatically improves the physical and psychological symptoms of periods. Researchers found that masturbation throughout the

month alleviated abdominal cramps, bloating, body aches, mood swings and feelings of irritability even when it wasn’t done intentionally to combat period pain.

Sexual wellness educator and certified intimacy and relationship expert Andrea Tan is all for menstrubation. “Serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine, released during sex or masturbation, have a painkiller and relaxing effect throughout the menstrual cycle phases,” she says. The result is relief from pain and stress, as well as a boost to your mood and sleep. Although masturbation does not wholly mitigate period pain, it does make it more bearable by adding a bit of pleasure.

And while there are many medical and alternative remedies for different pain points—tatler’s friend with endometriosis, for instance, changed her lifestyle as well as her diet by consulting nutritionists—they aren’t equally accessible to all. Physical, financial and social barriers often prevent women from reaping the benefits.

Transparent and inclusive conversations about menstrual health can help change this mindset and decrease taboos around periods. The closer we are to gender parity in healthcare, the less women will have to put up with pain.

“Serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine, released during sex or masturbation, have a painkiller and relaxing effect throughout the menstrual cycle phases” – ANDREA TAN