The Cruelty of Disregarding Women’s Health Issues
We need compassion and treatment, not violence.
Aside from writing, I work as a freelancer editor. The great beauty of this is that I see a lot of academic papers on a whole myriad of topics. An editing assignment last week blew my mind.
In the research I was editing, a term was mentioned that I had no idea existed. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Basically, this is PMS on steroids. PMDD is the hurricane that happens when you only thought there would be a tropical storm.
It is rare but extreme and requires attention and care beyond just telling a woman to go home and take a Midol and letting her know she’ll feel better next week once her period is over.
This also begs a question: How is it even remotely possible that I have spent 34 years of my life with a menstrual cycle and had no idea that this was even a thing? Oh, wait. I do know.
There is a woeful lack of attention that is paid to women’s health conditions outside of whether they are carrying a fetus and want to continue to carry it. Yes, I did. I went there. Not sorry.
