Why You Deserve Answers About Your Period Pain

“It’s just period pain.”

How many times have we all heard this? From a doctor, a partner, a parent, or even yourself — as month after month you find yourself battling with cramps or pain. Even when it’s got us doubled over, missing work, school, or social events, we downplay our pain. Period pain is so common that it’s become invisible. Brushed off. Built into the cultural script of what it means to be someone who menstruates.

But here’s the truth: common doesn’t mean normal. And it certainly doesn’t mean you should have to suffer in silence.

For centuries, people assigned female at birth have been told to endure pain — to minimise it, medicate it with over-the-counter treatments, or keep it private. Modern medical systems have long ignored or dismissed reproductive pain as exaggerated, emotional, or simply “part of being a woman.” That legacy still lingers today in the form of delayed diagnoses, underfunded research, and a lingering sense of shame or doubt when we speak up.

So this Women’s Health Week, we’re breaking that silence. In this article, we’ll explore why period pain has been dismissed for so long — and why that needs to change. Because your pain is real. And you deserve answers.

The Common but ‘Invisible’ Pain

Did you know? Up to 95% of people who menstruate experience period pain — but for 1 in 9 Australians, that pain is a sign of something more serious.

Cramping, bloating, and general discomfort are all common symptoms of menstruation. But just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s normal — or something you should have to simply “push through.”

So what causes period pain?

Period pain, medically known as dysmenorrhea, comes in two forms:

• Primary dysmenorrhea is the most common type. It’s caused by prostaglandins — hormone-like chemicals that trigger the uterus to contract and shed its lining. Higher levels of prostaglandins can mean more intense cramping, nausea, diarrhoea, and back pain.
  
  
• Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by an underlying condition — and it’s here where serious, often ignored issues can hide.

Some examples of causes of secondary dysmenorrhea includes:

• Endometriosis: 1 in 9 Australian women experience endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing inflammation, adhesions, and severe pain (often during periods, sex, or bowel movements).
  
  
• Adenomyosis: when endometrial tissue grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, leading to heavy bleeding and intense, sometimes stabbing pain.
  
  
• Uterine fibroids: noncancerous growths in or around the uterus that can cause heavy, painful periods, bloating, and pelvic pressure.
  
  
• Pelvic inflammatory disease: ovarian cysts, or congenital abnormalities can also contribute to chronic or acute pelvic pain.
  
  

These conditions are notoriously underdiagnosed. For example, people with endometriosis in Australia wait an average of 8 years for a diagnosis. By that time, their pain may have become chronic, and their trust in the medical system badly eroded.

So why does this kind of pain get overlooked?

We grow up hearing that periods hurt. That pain is part of being female. This cultural normalisation leads to dangerous delays — people downplay their own symptoms, assume they’re being dramatic, or encounter doctors who dismiss their concerns outright. And so the pain becomes background noise. Something to endure, not investigate.

But here’s the thing: if your period pain is interfering with your life — stopping you from going to work, school, social events, or simply getting out of bed — that’s not just "part of being a woman." That’s a signal. And it deserves to be heard.

Medical Gaslighting: When Pain Isn’t Believed

Medical gaslighting happens when a healthcare provider dismisses, downplays, or misattributes a patient’s symptoms  — and it’s especially common when that patient is a woman, a person of colour, or part of a marginalised group.

It’s the moment you walk into a clinic describing intense, ongoing pain — and walk out with nothing but a script for the Pill and a vague suggestion to “try yoga.”

You know something’s not right. But when the person you’ve trusted to help tells you otherwise, doubt creeps in. You start to wonder if you’re overreacting. You minimise. You delay asking again.

That’s what makes gaslighting so powerful — and so damaging. It doesn’t always come from bad intentions. In fact, many doctors are doing their best within a system that hasn’t trained them to recognise period-related conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, or fibroids. But the impact on patients is the same.

It sounds like this:

• “You’re too young for that.”
• “It’s probably just stress.”
• “Everyone gets cramps. Just take Panadol.”
• “Your test results are normal — let’s see how you go.”
  
  

These statements might sound well-meaning. But when they’re said to someone in pain — often repeatedly, over years — they erode more than just confidence. They delay diagnoses. They chip away at trust in medical care. And they often lead to internalised shame, guilt, or the sense that your pain must be your fault.

Medical gaslighting doesn’t just hurt feelings. It causes real harm. In the context of period pain, it means serious conditions go undiagnosed and untreated — sometimes for years — while people live in avoidable pain.

If this has been your experience, know this: it’s not in your head. You deserve better. And you’re not alone.

A Brief History of Dismissal: Patriarchy and Pain

The dismissal of period pain isn’t just personal — it’s systemic. It’s rooted in centuries of medical misunderstanding, cultural stigma, and patriarchal beliefs that have long framed women’s bodies as unreliable, emotional, or inherently pathological.

In Ancient Greece,the uterus was thought to “wander” the body, causing emotional instability and physical symptoms — a condition dubbed hysteria. This theory laid the foundation for centuries of dismissive medicine. The very word hysteria comes from the Greek hystera, meaning uterus — a linguistic reminder of how female anatomy was pathologised from the beginning.

By the 19th century, hysteria had become a catch-all diagnosis for everything from mood changes to menstrual cramps. Women experiencing intense period pain or emotional distress could be prescribed enforced rest, isolation, or even surgery.

In more extreme cases, women were even institutionalised in asylums for vague and gendered reasons like “female trouble,” “excessive menstruation,” or “menstrual madness.” Medical records from this era list menstrual-related complaints as formal causes for confinement, reflecting the deep mistrust of women's pain — and of menstruation itself.

Even in the 20th century, this dismissal persisted — just in more clinical language. Patients reporting severe menstrual pain were often told it was “just stress,” or that they were imagining it.

Those with endometriosis were frequently brushed off or blamed for “delaying motherhood.” Pain was painted as punishment — especially for women who dared to pursue careers or live outside traditional roles. The unspoken message? If you’re in pain, maybe it’s your fault.

This long, stubborn legacy of minimisation still echoes today. It’s why so many people are still told to “tough it out” instead of being properly assessed, diagnosed, or treated.

The Cost of Silence

When period pain is dismissed or downplayed, it doesn’t go away — it just goes unheard and untreated. And the cost of that silence is high.

In the largest online survey of menstrual symptoms, people rated their abdominal period pain an average 6 out of 10 on a pain scale — with 10 being the worst pain imaginable.

Among those who reported abdominal menstrual pain:

• 75.9% said they had to push themselves to keep going with daily activities.
• 8.3% said they could do fewer activities than usual.
• 6.7% said they could do almost nothing at all during their period.

Despite these significant impacts, only 9.8% of respondents had a formal diagnosis to explain their symptoms.

This suggests many may be living with undiagnosed secondary dysmenorrhea, such as endometriosis or adenomyosis. Even those diagnosed with primary dysmenorrhea (pain without an underlying condition) reported a 26% drop in overall quality of life.

The consequences of undiagnosed period pain can be life-altering:

• Severe period pain can be disabling, yet many are told to “just push through.” In Australia, period pain is a leading cause of school and work absences among people who menstruate — especially teens.
• Chronic pain is often a sign of an underlying condition, like endometriosis or adenomyosis, which can worsen over time if left untreated.
• Fertility can be affected, particularly when pain is linked to undiagnosed endometriosis or fibroids — sometimes not discovered until someone tries to conceive.
• Relationships and sex lives often suffer, especially when pain makes intimacy difficult or distressing.
• Mental health takes a hit when pain is constant and disbelief is routine. Living with dismissed symptoms can lead to anxiety, depression, and medical trauma.

And while this experience is hard for anyone, not everyone is impacted equally.

People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, First Nations communities, and lower-income households often face more barriers to care — including systemic racism, financial inaccessibility, and fewer local healthcare options. LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent people often report feeling misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or simply overlooked in the healthcare system altogether.

Silence protects the system — not the people in pain. And it’s time we changed that.

Why You Deserve Better

Let’s be clear: you are not being dramatic. You are not overreacting. And you are not imagining it.

Period pain — especially when it’s severe or disruptive — is a valid medical concern. Bodies assigned female at birth deserve the same level of investigation, compassion, and clinical curiosity as anyone else. Not “wait and see.” Not “just the Pill.” Not “that’s normal.”

What can you do if you're not getting answers?

Self-advocacy shouldn’t have to be necessary — but in the current system, it’s often essential. Here are a few tools that can help:

• Track your symptoms: Write down pain levels, locations, patterns, and how it impacts daily life. Bring this to your appointment — it makes it harder to ignore.
  
  
• Ask for specifics: If told it’s “normal,” ask why — and whether specific conditions like endometriosis or fibroids have been ruled out.
  
  
• Seek a second opinion: Especially if you feel dismissed. Another doctor might have different training, experience, or simply take you more seriously.
  
  
• Use plain but firm language: “This pain is interfering with my life. I need help understanding what’s causing it.”
  
  

Advocating for yourself in a medical setting can be exhausting — especially when you’re already in pain. But it’s also powerful. Every time someone speaks up, questions dismissal, or refuses to accept “just part of being a woman,” it pushes the system a little closer to change.

You deserve care that listens. You deserve relief. And you deserve answers.

How Hazel is Helping 

At Hazel, we’re building a new model of care for women — one that actually listens. Our team of doctors, specialists, and nurses understand that pain is never “just part of being a woman.” We offer evidence-based support through telehealth, targeted treatment plans, and ongoing support for conditions like endometriosis, adenomyosis, chronic pelvic pain and more.

But we’re just one part of a much bigger shift — and there's still work to do.

This Women’s Health Week, you can be part of the change:

• Book that appointment you’ve been putting off. You deserve answers.
• Track your symptoms and bring them to your next consult.
• Share your story — online, with a friend, or with your GP. Silence helps no one.
• Support organisations advocating for better pelvic pain research, inclusive care, and education.

Pain has been dismissed for too long. Together, we’re rewriting that story.

Ready to be heard?

If your period pain is interfering with your life, it’s time to get answers. Book an appointment with Hazel’s expert care team today.