Today is Menstrual Hygiene Day and it’s about time we celebrate our cycles and break the stigmas associated with them by talking about the prevalence of cycle-related symptoms.
At Elix, our mission is to spark much-needed conversations on traditionally taboo areas of women’s health and democratize access to personalized, clinically-backed herbal remedies for chronic conditions, beginning with menstrual care.
After struggling with my own debilitating menstrual symptoms and feeling frustrated by the lack of safe, side-effect-free solutions available, we officially launched Elix on International Women’s Day 2020. This was the same weekend Governor Cuomo announced a State of Emergency in NYC. I think it’s safe to say that none of us had any idea that our collective worlds would soon be turned upside down.
Even during a global pandemic, menstruators at large shared their journeys with chronic pain and raised hands in agreement that we deserve better. Although we make up 51% of the population, women’s health issues receive only 4% of healthcare R&D in the U.S. For instance, even though endometriosis affects the same number of people as diabetes, endometriosis research receives only 1% of the funding of diabetes research. Even more infuriating, erectile dysfunction (which impacts ~10% of men) receives five times more funding than PMS (which impacts ~90% of women).
We deserve to live in a world where chronic pain does not disproportionately impact one group of people and causes 20% of menstruators to miss out on work or school due to monthly debilitating pain. We deserve to understand our cycles and their relationship to our overall health, and we all deserve access to safe, effective, and natural solutions.
The Elix State of Menstrual Health Report
In response to the lack of research into menstrual health, we released our first State of Menstrual Health Report, sharing a summary of what we’ve learned from the 42,000+ people who completed the Elix Health Assessment in 2020. Below are some interesting insights that jumped out to me, further underscoring the prevalence of issues that have traditionally felt too “taboo” to discuss. I encourage you to explore the full report here.
Menstrual symptoms are REAL and DISRUPTIVE
- 95% experienced painful menstrual cramps with 20% reporting unbearable pain that keeps them out of work each month!
- Over 75% experienced cycle-related mood swings
- 80% experienced cycle-related bloating
- Over 65% experienced cycle-related headaches
- Over 60% experienced cycle-related acne
- 65% experienced a heavy menstrual flow
- 30% experienced fatigue as their worst symptom
- Over 50% experienced irregular menstrual cycles
And stress makes our symptoms worse
When we went into quarantine last March, I personally experienced my most painful cycle since rediscovering herbal healing. My menses (i.e., period bleeding) started 3 days earlier than usual and the familiar feeling of stab-me-in-the-uterus cramps waged their first attack in years.
Research shows that stress has a huge lingering effect on our cycles and can cause pain, heavy bleeding, and cycle irregularity. I felt it again in June when the Black Lives Matter Movement was reignited by our collective fury, and also in November as the uncertainty around our country’s future (and the associated media frenzy) had us all spiraling on the edge of our seats. Not only did I personally experience all of these fluctuations, but the data showed an interesting correlation between our collective cycle symptoms and societal stress. (97% reported general stress.)
Yet, nearly 20% of respondents don’t do anything about their menstrual pain.
This is devastating and likely because the process of seeking care can be so painful that many menstruators give up.
Historically, a majority of women’s pain issues were diagnosed as “hysteria” and even today, the same medical sexism causes women’s health issues to be more commonly misdiagnosed or dismissed by doctors as less critical. We hear heartbreaking examples of this all too often from members of our Elix community who have felt repeatedly gaslighted when seeking care. For example, Angela from Oklahoma visited 20+ healthcare practitioners seeking relief from her chronic endometriosis pain — she was repeatedly told “It’s all in your head” or “Just suck it up, period pain is normal.”
Experiences like these are why we’re so passionate about providing educational resources — with numerous articles on The Wisdom (our blog) and IGTV on how to be your own best health advocate in the doctor’s office and in life.
What Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can teach us
Our menstrual cycles reveal a lot about our overall health, and painful, life-disrupting symptoms are not normal, but rather our bodies’ way of crying out for help. The questions we ask in the Elix Health Assessment help determine the root cause of an individual’s symptoms and the herbal formula recommended to restore balance to the body.
93% of our Elix community have reported an improvement in cycle-related symptoms while taking Cycle Balance. Plus, 35% of our community are using these herbs to support the symptoms of endometriosis, PCOS, ovarian cysts, and fibroids. We’re looking forward to kicking off our own clinical studies later this year and contributing to the much-needed research around these chronic conditions that impact so many.
In celebration of May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we have released a TCM 101 guide to understanding the foundational theories and approach of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We hope this multi-series guide will serve as a resource for everyone struggling with imbalances, that they can discover a more holistic approach to becoming their own best healer.
We’re aiming to help create a world in which we can all live without debilitating cycle symptoms and enjoy every day to its fullest. Join the menstrual wellness movement and connect with us on Instagram (@elixhealing) or visit elixhealing.com to learn more!
