Why chronic menstrual pain is often misunderstood

Why chronic menstrual pain is often misunderstood (Photo: iStock)

As a teenager, Rebecca learned about reproductive health -- from puberty and menstruation to the journey of motherhood -- from her biology class. Outside of school, the changes in a woman's body were not readily discussed.

Rebecca ended up feeling confused and isolated in her journey as she grappled with a mixture of symptoms that were hard to explain -- from severe cramps, bloating, constipation and unusual cravings to heavy bleeding, headaches and fatigue that left her bedridden for days. Unfortunately, because many of her peers experienced mild cramps, her 'discomforts' were often dismissed as 'typical menstrual issues' or followed by tales of doom such as infertility or even death.