The menstrual pain It is a common condition but too often ignored that affects up to 90% of women. It manifests itself with abdominal cramps, tiredness, nausea, mood changes and, in some cases, even intense bleeding. Despite its diffusion, the pain linked to the cycle is rarely treated with the seriousness it deservesboth in the working and doctor context.
Yet according to one study Dutch published on BMJ Openthe true loss of productivity linked to the menstrual cycle is not measured only in days of absence, but above all through the phenomenon of presentism: be physically present at work or school, but with a significantly reduced surrender. The study, conducted on addition 32,000 women aged between 15 and 45showed that menstrual pain causes one loss of average productivity equal to almost 9 days a year.
A submerged reality
Only one in seven women said she had absent from work or school due to menstrual symptoms. The majority has instead chosen to remain present, even if less productive. This phenomenon is particularly widespread among the young people under the age of 21which are more likely to report absences. However, only a minimal part of the participants has openly communicated the reason for the absence to the employer or teachers.
The need for flexibility
The data speak clearly: 81% of interviewees admitted to being less productive During the cycle, but rarely this is accompanied by corporate policies that offer solutions. The majority of women involved in the study expressed the desire to more flexible timetablesespecially on the critical days of the month. A need that clashes with a working culture that still tends to minimize menstrual symptoms.
A cultural change is needed: it is a form of discrimination
The researchers underline how the presentism caused by the symptoms of the menstrual cycle is a problem systemicoften ignored. The lack of attention and concrete solutions represents not only a social and economic cost, but also a form of silent discrimination. It is time to stop treating the cycle as a minor discomfort and starting to consider it for what it is: a physiological reality that it deserves respect and support.
