May was Menstrual Health Awareness Month and while much of the world has been speaking up about access to pads and breaking period stigma, there is still a side of menstrual health that remains under-discussed. This May, we shifted the spotlight, not just toward the lack of products or the silence around menstruation, but toward the physical pain, chronic infections, and reproductive complications that many girls and women live with every cycle.
Doctors often say that the menstrual cycle is a fifth vital sign. Like heart rate and blood pressure, it tells us what is happening inside the body yet many young women do not learn what is normal and what is not. Enduring intense pain, heavy bleeding, strange odours, and irregular cycles without realising that something may be seriously wrong. Menstrual health is not just about bleeding. It is about the health of the entire reproductive system. When that system is neglected or misunderstood, the consequences can greatly affect quality of life.
Infections That Start with a Pad
Let’s start with hygiene, using dirty cloth, sharing pads, or going too long without changing one can open the door to a host of infections. Bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections are the most common. They cause itching, unpleasant discharge, and a burning sensation during urination which causes discomfort. If left untreated they can travel deeper into the reproductive tract and spread infection into the blood system.
Another cause of concern is pelvic inflammatory disease, often shortened to PID, which is a severe infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. It can lead to chronic pain, irregular bleeding, even infertility, yet many girls in rural areas of Uganda experience the early signs of PID but do not have access to medical care or the words to describe what they feel.
When Pain is a Warning Sign
There is a difference between normal cramps and pain that signals a medical condition. Endometriosis is one such condition which occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside it, causing inflammation, pain, and sometimes infertility. It is one of the most painful disorders known to medicine, yet many girls are told their pain is just part of being a woman.
Another condition is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, or PCOS. It causes irregular periods, excess body hair, acne, and can also cause weight gain. It is also one of the leading causes of infertility, and it affects millions of women worldwide. The earlier it is detected, the easier it is to manage. But how do we detect these issues in a community where many girls do not understand how their organs should properly function?
Anatomy is Critical
The female reproductive system is not too complicated to understand. Each part plays a role during the menstrual cycle and girls should have the language to understand their bodies or speak up when something feels wrong. The truth is, there’s a whole world of reproductive diseases that go beyond what has been mentioned that many girls will never hear about.
Menstrual Health Awareness Month should have this focus – that menstruation is a deeply biological process but also a window into reproductive health. Periods can hurt, but sometimes that hurt is a signal and a message from the body that something needs care. That’s what May should be about, equipping girls to better advocate for their own health.