Why does having your period sometimes hurt so damn much?

The cramp started somewhere deep in my belly and it felt like someone was personally pulling my uterus towards the exit. Let's just call it an exit in the case of menstruation. The cramp lasted at least five to ten damn long seconds and in the meantime, I just puffed it away a bit. My boyfriend looked a bit panicked at me, because I was simultaneously driving the car. Being on my period, let's just say I find it a crappy task that Mother Nature has assigned to us.

In case you have no idea how intense pain or cramps feel during menstruation, Dr. Bertho Nieboer, a gynecologist at Radboudumc, explains it clearly in an online lecture. Every month, the uterus contracts with a force of up to 175 millimeters of mercury pressure. That's comparable to a tightly inflated blood pressure monitor, and that around your private parts. Let that sink in for a moment. Then consider that 85 percent of women experience pain during menstruation, that this affects the daily lives of 38 percent of women, and do the math. By the way, this is not pulled out of thin air, but it comes from research among 43,000 (!) women.

I was twelve when I menstruated for the first time. It hurt, but really damn hurt. So I lay curled up on the couch every month from the belly cramps. Meanwhile, our German shepherd Iris did everything to cheer me up a bit, like licking my whole face. It didn't really help, but hey, it was well-intentioned. The solution from the doctor was to prescribe me the contraceptive pill at the age of 13. It helped, but in hindsight, it turns out that this was not the most ideal scenario for a very young girl. Although I was just glad that I didn't have to spend my school day doubled over in pain anymore.

But why the pain then? The uterus is actually a large muscle that contracts on average one to four times per minute. In the cycle, your uterus produces the lining and breaks it down in parts during menstruation. That uterine lining serves to give the embryo in the uterus a (possible) soft landing. So far, a very clear explanation from Dr. Nieboer. He also makes a vivid comparison with having cramps in your calf, and then you immediately know that it takes a while for that pain to subside.

Is it just doom and gloom? Yes, but there is also a silver lining. Almost nothing works as well against menstrual pain as an orgasm. Why is still not entirely clear, it could be a combination of blood flow and the release of all kinds of blissful substances, but who cares, menstruation helps!

And for those who think we shouldn't complain about this: Dr. Nieboer explained it clearly and distinctly. If men were to menstruate, there would have long been monthly calendars with a week blocked off as standard.

A girl laughing while holding a cup with a building in the background Are you in so much pain that you can't function normally for days and cancel appointments? Then definitely visit the doctor, because the pain shouldn't be that severe.

Source: University of the Netherlands, Flair