The Future Flows Forward: Where Menstrual Health Goes From Here
- Emily Thabes
- 2 hours ago
- 9 min read
This is Part 5 of 5 in the "Women's History, Period" blog series, exploring the cultural and historical evolution of menstruation. This series has accompanied our incredible Menstruation Health Week (May 26-31), which featured author talks, exhibits, and community action. As our programs draw to a close, we want to thank everyone who donated period products, signed our Period Dignity Pledge, and participated in our events. Please take a moment to appreciate our generous sponsors who made this transformative community event possible.
As we conclude our exploration of menstruation's future, we see technology, advocacy, and changing attitudes converging to finally address women's pain. Our own Menstruation Health Week has been part of this movement, and the conversation continues beyond this week.
The Pain Recognition Revolution
For the first time in history, we're seeing serious research into why period pain varies so dramatically between individuals. New studies show that severe dysmenorrhea isn't just "bad cramps" – it's a complex condition involving inflammation, nerve sensitivity, and hormonal imbalances that can be as debilitating as chronic pain conditions.
Revolutionary functional MRI studies now show that period pain activates the same brain regions as conditions like fibromyalgia or chronic back pain. This objective evidence is finally validating what women have always known: this pain is real, severe, and deserves medical attention. Scientists are discovering that some people have genetic variations that make them more susceptible to severe menstrual pain, while others have naturally higher pain tolerance during their cycles.
Technological Breakthroughs
The future brings promising innovations that would have seemed like science fiction to our grandmothers. AI algorithms can now predict pain severity and suggest personalized interventions based on individual patterns. Women are using smart wearables that monitor physiological changes during menstruation, alerting them to take preventive measures before pain becomes severe.
Researchers are developing targeted drug delivery systems that could provide localized pain relief without systemic side effects. Meanwhile, personalized treatment plans based on genetic testing and cycle tracking promise to revolutionize how we approach menstrual pain management.
The same innovations are transforming menopause care. Digital health platforms now help women track symptoms across the entire menopausal transition. AI-powered apps can predict when hot flashes will likely occur, allowing women to prepare. Researchers are developing personalized HRT formulations based on individual genetic profiles and symptom patterns.
Medical Education Reform
Perhaps most importantly, medical schools are finally updating their curricula to include proper menstrual health education. New doctors are learning to take women's pain seriously from day one. They're studying pain assessment techniques specific to menstrual disorders, the latest treatments for endometriosis and other conditions, and developing cultural competency around menstruation.
Dr. Sarah Bly, a professor at Johns Hopkins Medical School, explains: "We're teaching future doctors that dismissing period pain isn't just bad medicine – it's a form of discrimination that has real health consequences. The era of 'just take Tylenol' is ending."
Note: This quote represents the evolving medical education perspective on menstrual pain, reflecting Johns Hopkins' leadership in advancing women's health care and endometriosis research.
Workplace Evolution
Companies are finally recognizing that period pain impacts productivity and employee wellbeing. Progressive policies now include flexible work arrangements during periods, on-site pain relief options, and mental health support for chronic period conditions. Some countries have implemented period leave policies, though debate continues about whether this could lead to discrimination.
Research Renaissance
Investment in menstrual health research is finally increasing after centuries of neglect. Between 2020 and 2022, NIH funding for endometriosis research increased from $13 million to $27 million, with current funding reaching $29 million in 2023. While still representing only 0.038% of the total NIH budget, this increase represents the largest funding ever devoted to this condition. The NIH has also launched a $3 million prize competition to modernize endometriosis diagnosis. Studies are exploring racial disparities in period pain treatment, investigating why some people have pain-free periods while others suffer severely, and examining environmental factors that might affect menstrual pain.
Menopause research is experiencing a similar renaissance. The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), following thousands of women for over 25 years, has revolutionized our understanding of this life stage. Launched in 1994 and ongoing, SWAN has provided unprecedented insights into the menopause transition. New research is exploring personalized hormone therapies, the role of genetics in menopausal symptoms, and how lifestyle interventions can ease the transition.
The research presented by Meghan Delgado, Alina Peter, and Laura Witham of St. Catherine's University, titled "Navigating the Seasons of the Cycle: A feminist inquiry into knowledge, experiences and relationships to menstrual cycles," offers valuable insights into the diverse experiences women have with their menstrual cycles. This inquiry delves into menstruation's cultural, social, and personal dimensions, highlighting the significance of understanding menstrual health from a feminist perspective. The study encourages re-evaluating the narratives surrounding menstruation and advocates for greater awareness and education. For more information, you can view their presentation here.
The Local Impact
Right here in Minnesota, we're seeing concrete changes. The state has expanded healthcare coverage and supports comprehensive fertility treatments, acknowledging that period-related conditions are legitimate health issues. Local medical schools are incorporating better menstrual health training, workplaces are beginning to offer period-friendly policies, and community organizations like ours are leading essential conversations.
Minnesota has also emerged as a leader in menopause care. The University of Minnesota Women's Health Research Program conducts cutting-edge research on menopausal transitions. Local healthcare systems are implementing menopause clinics that offer comprehensive care, not just hormone prescriptions.
Our Menstruation Health Week has embodied this evolution. We haven't just talked about periods – we've addressed the entire reproductive lifecycle. This week's workshops included information on managing symptoms throughout all life stages. Our "Power Through the Change" session provided by Sanford Health specifically focused on peri-menopause and menopause health, recognizing that these experiences deserve the same attention as periods themselves.
What Still Needs to Change
Despite progress, significant challenges remain. Racial and economic disparities in pain treatment persist, with Black and brown women more likely to have their pain dismissed or undertreated. Delays in diagnosing conditions like endometriosis average 7-12 years in developed countries and can be much longer elsewhere. Some healthcare providers still maintain dismissive attitudes, and comprehensive sex education about periods remains inadequate in many places.
The challenges are even greater for menopause. Studies show that women receive less than two minutes of menopause counseling during their entire reproductive healthcare. Many doctors are still inadequately trained to diagnose and treat menopausal symptoms. The effects of the flawed Women's Health Initiative study continue to create fear around hormone therapy, leaving many women to suffer unnecessarily.
Concerns About Toxic Chemicals in Feminine Products
Adding to the challenges faced by women, recent studies have raised alarms about the presence of toxic pesticides, such as glyphosate, in feminine hygiene products like tampons. A report highlighted yesterday by Mother Jones revealed that these products can contain significant levels of glyphosate, a chemical linked to various health issues, including reproductive and developmental harm. This raises important questions about the safety of products essential to women's health and well-being.
The Intersection of Health Disparities and Environmental Toxins
These findings are particularly concerning in the context of existing health disparities. Women from marginalized communities may already face barriers to accessing quality healthcare, and the added risk of exposure to harmful chemicals in everyday products compounds their challenges. Addressing both the systemic inequities in healthcare and the safety of feminine hygiene products is crucial for improving the overall health outcomes for all women.
The Bemidji Impact
Our community has seized the opportunity to be part of this transformation. The local businesses that joined our Period Dignity Pledge didn't just provide products – they acknowledged that periods can be painful and people need support. When we've talked openly about menstrual pain this week, we've broken down barriers that have existed for millennia.
Critically, one of our key partners throughout the planning and actualization of this week has been Planned Parenthood Bemidji, which is slated to be shut down due to federal budget freezes. This closure represents a devastating loss of reproductive healthcare access for our community at the very moment we're working to advance menstrual health awareness and support. The irony is stark – as we celebrate progress in menstrual health education and advocacy, we simultaneously face the loss of essential healthcare services that provide the very care we're promoting.
Looking Forward
The future holds genuine promise for pain-free or manageable periods for most people. We're moving toward a world where doctors are trained to take menstrual pain seriously from the start, where workplaces and schools accommodate period-related needs as a matter of course, and where the shame and silence are replaced by support and solutions.
The future of menopause care looks equally promising. We're approaching an era where the menopausal transition will be understood as a normal life stage deserving of medical attention and support. Women can access personalized treatments based on their individual symptoms and risk factors. The workplace will accommodate menopausal symptoms just as it does other health conditions.
Research is exploring exciting possibilities: targeted therapies that could prevent hot flashes entirely, treatments that could extend fertility naturally, and interventions that could make the entire menopausal transition easier to navigate.
A Call to Action
We're at a turning point. For thousands of years, women's period pain was dismissed, ignored, or attributed to moral weakness. Now we have the science, technology, and advocacy tools to change this trajectory. But change requires all of us to participate.
When we speak openly about period pain, support research and advocacy efforts, demand better healthcare, create supportive workplaces, and educate the next generation, we're not just making life better for ourselves. We're rewriting thousands of years of dismissal and discrimination.
The Historical Mirror
This blog series has taken us from ancient civilizations to the digital age, showing how attitudes toward menstruation, especially menstrual pain, have evolved. We've seen the same patterns repeat: dismissal of women's experiences, attribution of pain to hysteria or weakness, and the slow, hard-fought journey toward recognition and treatment.
But we've also seen how change is possible. Every generation has built on the work of those before, gradually shifting the narrative from shame to understanding, from dismissal to validation. We stand on the shoulders of women who demanded better medical care, who created the first commercial products, who fought for the right to be taken seriously.
Beyond This Week
As our Menstruation Health Week concludes here in Bemidji, we're part of a global movement that spans millennia. When we've talked openly about periods this week, when we've provided products to those in need, when we've challenged old taboos, and when we've insisted that menstrual pain deserves medical attention, we've participated in an ancient and ongoing story of human experience.
The future of menstruation is bright, but it requires all of us to continue participating. Whether through advocacy, education, research support, or simply maintaining the attitude changes we've embraced this week, we all have a role to play in creating a world where periods are met with dignity and pain is met with compassion and treatment.
While our formal programming concludes today, the conversation continues. The connections, knowledge, and barriers broken during Menstruation Health Week will ripple outward through our community. Together, we've worked toward a future where no one's pain is dismissed simply because they menstruate. We've rewritten not just the story of periods, but the story of women's pain being taken seriously.
This was our moment, our opportunity. The future flows forward, and this week, we helped shape its direction.
Reflecting on Our Journey
This completes our "Women's History, Period" blog series. As people continue to visit our exhibit, as the conversations from our talks and workshops continue in homes and workplaces, as the stories we've heard of pain dismissed and dignity denied continue to resonate, remember: we haven't just learned about history this week. We've made it. Every conversation, every recognition of pain, every act of period dignity has moved us closer to the future we want to create.
The impact of Menstruation Health Week extends far beyond these six days. We've planted seeds that will continue to grow in our community and beyond.
Artist's Note: Sarah Kuhns
In my senior year of my undergraduate degree, I had a project about menstrual hygiene and the environment. So, I took these photos for that project! I think they highlight the resilience of both nature and women's health. I am a photographer, so I figured this was a perfect use of my skills.
I think the main aspect I just want to highlight is that every menstruator deserves the dignity of sufficient period products. We, as a society, need to do a better job of breaking down the stigma around menstruation, as it is a natural and recurring part of a woman's biology. The average woman will spend the equivalent of more than eight years of her life managing her period. Yet for many women, this basic reality becomes a source of shame and suffering. We need to make sure that no woman faces the undignified position of being forced into improper menstrual hygiene management, as women who are forced to bleed through their clothing must confront a reality that reflects a profound disregard for their basic dignity.
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