Women's occupational health: The impact of dysmenorrhea on women in the workplace

Occupational health outcomes differ between men and women due to differences in their physiology. For instance, working women will face the problem of dysmenorrhea, and some women who experience dysmenorrhea will choose to miss work, which will affect their working experience, resulting in a gap in occupational health between women and men. The history of women entering the workplace is not as long as that of men. It was not until World War I that more and more women began to work outside due to the increased demand for production during the fierce war. For a long time, women's health demands in the workplace have been ignored. Many occupational health-related studies have ignored the impact of menstruation on the health of working women. At the same time, along with the neglect of the health of working women brought about by gender discrimination, the lack of attention to the health of women who experience dysmenorrhea will also lead to inequality in women's occupational health. Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common menstrual-related health problems, with prevalence ranging from 16% to 91% in women of reproductive age(15-49 years), with 2% to 29% of women in the study experiencing severe pain. Symptoms of dysmenorrhea are not only the result of physiological factors such as hormonal imbalances and lifestyle, but also psychological and social factors such as anxiety, depression, stress, interactions with friends, family colleagues, and the work environment that increase the risk of dysmenorrhea. The physical and psychological factors accompanying dysmenorrhea significantly affect working women's health and quality of life. This essay discusses the obstacles of dysmenorrhea to women's occupational health through internal and external factors, then discusses reducing the impact of dysmenorrhea on women's occupational health