Women know best that period pain is no fun. However, a recent exhibition in the United States has caused amusement around the world by addressing this topic. In a series of viral videos on TikTok, men were given the opportunity to experience menstrual pain with the help of a simulator.
Men Experiencing Menstrual Cramps PHOTO Collage Tiktok
Curious, many men attending the Calgary Stampede expo accepted the challenge and volunteered. The manufacturing company set up a booth with a menstrual pain simulator, being concerned with removing the stigma around discussing menstrual pain, according to Yahoo! Life.
The outcome? Videos that have gone viral, featuring men in cowboy hats and grimaces of pain, provide a comical perspective on the situation.
Many of the volunteers reacted predictably to the pain simulator gradually increased from one to ten. The men felt, in a very realistic way, the intensity of menstrual pain, culminating in surprising expressions and, in some cases, even tears.
Behind this action is the mission to give people an insight into what this pain entails, often underestimated or misunderstood.
Lux Perry, CEO of the organizing company, called Somedays, explained to Global News Canada: “Many women experience extreme amounts of pain and are invalidated in certain aspects of their lives by their teachers, coaches, friends and doctors. So we're bringing in the period simulator to give men an idea of what they have to endure.”
The painful experience of menstruation, called dysmenorrhea, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, is a reality for more than half of menstruating women, lasting an average of 1 to 2 days each month. For some women, the pain is so severe that it affects their normal activities.
Of course, this is a simulation and cannot truly reflect the complexity and variability of menstrual pain. However, the initiative brought the subject to the fore and sparked discussions about the need for understanding, support and empathy towards women who experience such pain on a monthly basis.
