It’s hard to imagine that one in every of the largest obstacles those that menstruate still face today is periods being taken seriously. From countries initially failing to list period products as essential at the beginning of lockdown to the APPG on Endometriosis Inquiry reporting that the typical diagnosis time hasn’t improved within the last decade, it’s clear the needs of 1000’s are being ignored. 

Ever since 2015 was dubbed ‘The Year of the Period’, now we have seen menstruation grow to be less taboo and more marketable. This has led to a monopoly of products, services and even software that focus solely on reproductive health. This corner of the market has grown so rapidly, it even has its own term: femtech. It was the rise of period and fertility tracking apps that first propelled femtech into the mainstream. Since then, now we have seen tech used to boost women’s health in other areas equivalent to: pregnancy and post-care, sexual wellness in addition to chronic conditions and hormone disorders. 

One area particularly that has grown is the rebranding of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines. These are wearable devices that use a light electrical current to treat pain. TENS technology is nothing latest, the primary was patented in 1974 and has long been used to assist chronic pain patients. Nowadays they’re marketed as the most recent drug-free solution for period pain. With brands like Livia and ovira asking questions like ‘had enough of popping 100s of pills every month?’; these products create latest insecurities and capitalise off them.

In the case of pain, anecdotal evidence and research shows individuals are treated otherwise based on their gender. One study found that women are less likely to be given effective painkillers than men and one other showed that women have to wait significantly longer to see a doctor in emergency departments. This long history of dismissing pain means many feel they must justify the ways wherein they manage. With products focusing so heavily on being a natural approach to gain relief, they further this problematic narrative that tells us now we have to administer our pain a certain way.

It’s not only technology that brands are using to perpetuate myths with a view to turn a profit. Vagisil recently came under fire for their new OMV! line aimed at teenagers who wish to do something about “period funk” and achieve an “intimate care glow-up”. These products proceed to be developed because we’re always told the lie that vaginas are dirty. The obsession with cleanliness and freshness has long been conflated with good vaginal health, and doctors are contending with a rise of concerns because of the market.

“I actually have many patients that are available after seeing videos about the best way to look after the vagina. Oftentimes, they’re concerned about how their genitals smell. Their genitals are completely normal but because there are such a lot of products which are alleged to make you smell higher, many patients wonder if there’s something improper with them,” says Dr Heather Irobunda, MD. “It often takes multiple appointments and tests to indicate there aren’t any infections and that there’s nothing improper with them.”

One byproduct of menstrual capitalism is the rise of self-proclaimed women’s health experts becoming “personalities” on platforms equivalent to TikTok and Instagram. One in all which sells a cycle syncing supplement kit that claims to assist individuals with tough PMS symptoms feel great all month long. All they must do is ingest the proper superfoods and herbs at the proper time in each phase of the menstrual cycle. This miracle product – for which there aren’t any studies that prove it helps – will be yours for a modest price of $299.

One other barrier patients are struggling to beat is ineffective treatment being suggested. After Dr Jen Lincoln posted a video that suggested a hysterectomy is a cure for endometriosis to her impressionable audience of nearly two million viewers on TikTok, she was soon met with backlash from those who are suffering with the complex condition. A hysterectomy is a surgical operation wherein the uterus is removed. Not only is that this an irreversible, major surgery, it will not be ‘a definitive treatment’ for endometriosis as Lincoln claims. Endometriosis will not be confined to the uterus and endometrial-like tissue has been found in every major organ besides the spleen. 

One person leading the call-out was endometriosis advocate and creator of Vagina Problems, Lara Parker. “I became aware of her after she referred to endometriosis as ‘fixable’. She presented the data with such confidence it actually fearful me. I immediately wondered how many individuals might unnecessarily remove organs for this reason doctor’s videos,” she tells Dazed Beauty.

Several of the comments on Lincoln’s now deleted video were from patients who said they were led to imagine a hysterectomy would cure them when there currently isn’t a cure for endometriosis. This sea of misinformation makes it even harder to get an accurate diagnosis and access the proper treatment. “It took me seven years in total to get a solid answer to what was happening with my body” says Lara and she or he will not be alone. Endometriosis impacts one in ten women and AFAB individuals of any age and is the second most common gynaecological condition in the UK.

If there’s a silver lining to be found, it’s the communities that lead the pushback to unnecessary products and myths surrounding menstruation. Many are in a position to access accurate information because of advocates sharing information and their experiences. “The one reason I find out about endometriosis is due to work that other patients and advocates have put in to creating sure that accurate information is dispersed,” says Lara.

Fortunately, there are doctors on the market making a difference too. Dr Irobunda says she chooses to have open conversations together with her patients about why they might feel dirty: “I normally ask them how they got here to this conclusion that they should use certain products and I exploit the space we’ve created to debate the function of the vagina. Once I educate my patients about how their body works, they typically have fewer issues.”

One could argue that the commodification of periods has led to menstruation being more on our radar than ever before. But so long as there’s money to be made in menstrual shame, the period won’t ever truly rid itself of stigma that has followed it for hundreds of years. 

Tara Costello is a author and educator who has been talking frankly and writing about menstruation for greater than a decade. Her debut book Red Moon Gang: An Inclusive Guide To Periods is out now.