Doctors Talk Menstrual Disorders on #MHDay 2021

In celebration of Menstrual Health Day 2021, Aurat Raaj hosted several panels discussing issues related to menstruation. 

For one such panel, we were honored to have Ramma Cheema, the founder of Beti as a collaborative host. Beti is an empowering media and advocacy campaign that focuses on highlighting the plight of women and challenging misogyny. Ramma was joined by guests, Dr. Usman Amin, who is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of the Psychiatry Department at Rashid Latif Medical College. Additionally, she was joined by Dr. Mateen Hotiana, the Consultant Endocrinologist at Genesis HealthCare.

The topics of discussion included menstrual and hormonal issues and the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on menstrual cycles and existing reproductive health conditions in Pakistan. 

It was invigorating to see how the conversation transcended beyond the topics and the panelists and host talked about long-overdue important topics such as period shaming. The panelists declared that menstruation is a natural process and is nothing to be ashamed of. This is why there is a dire need to encourage education about menstruation and mothers need to give this education to their daughters.

The panelists also dispelled myths about periods such as the myth that states that menstruating individuals can not take showers. They advised adolescent and otherwise menstruating individuals to incorporate a healthy diet comprising fruits and vegetables, limiting fast food and eating out. 

The doctors suggested that it is not Covid-19 or vaccinations that impact menstrual cycles but the stress and sudden changes to individuals’ lifestyles created due to them. Understandably, they could not draw any definitive conclusions about the pandemic and menstruation because the pandemic is new for all of us and they are not yet aware of any long-term impacts. 

They also said that hormones are very sensitive and susceptible to change, which is why menstrual irregularities occur. They stressed the importance of consulting a professional when menstrual irregularities persist, as they might signal a medical issue. 

Conclusively, Dr. Usman said that the menstrual cycle is closely connected to stress and stress is the worst enemy of menstrual irregularities. He said that stress relief is the solution and gave encouragement towards Covid vaccination.