Young people's experiences of periods and period pain
Impacts of periods and period pain on social activities, like seeing friends, sport and holidays
Periods and period pain could make it difficult for young people to take part in and enjoy social activities. Sometimes this was because of bleeding, pain, and tiredness. This section covers three types of social activitities that can be impacted by periods and period pain for young people:
Seeing friends and family
Periods and period pain could make it hard to see friends or be involved in social activities. Jade told us how “I think it just makes me, like, generally a lot less up to do things. Like: “I don’t really wanna go out tonight, guys,” not feeling that, or stuff like that’”. Zaynah, Grace and others said they would “postpone” or “cancel” plans sometimes because of period pain. Sarenna says period pain has an impact on her because “even like when you’re with your friends, and stuff, it’s not the same ’cause you’re not really like in the best mood”.
The support and shared experience of periods and period pain with friends was also an important help in managing periods and period pain.
Periods and period pain impacted on family social events too. Ivy felt that it “sort of stops you doing fun things. So, like my... my family would go out for days out and I’d have to stay here in bed with painkillers and just sleeping loads”.
Period pain meant Rosie missed out on a family trip to celebrate her Grandmother’s birthday because she did not feel she could travel in the car for a long journey.
Period pain meant Rosie missed out on a family trip to celebrate her Grandmother’s birthday because she did not feel she could travel in the car for a long journey.
Would your period get in the way of doing things like that now, do you think?
Definitely, yeah. I did quit football and rowing. Well, I quit football to do rowing, and then I quit rowing because it was lockdown and we couldn’t go on the boats, or anything, so there’s no point, really. I still walk with my Dad, but I do have to cancel events for my period. So, it was my Grandma’s birthday who lives in [place name] and we had like a two-and-a-half hour drive from there a couple of months ago, and I couldn’t go ’cause my cramps were so bad, I just literally, I just couldn’t get out of bed. And I couldn’t imagine sitting in a car for two and a half hours, you know, like feeling like that, so I just said I... I... I couldn’t go. But yeah, it probably would get in the way, especially with your physical activity, sports.
Periods also affected what people felt able to, or comfortable, wearing which could impact on special occasions and events with friends or family. For example, Lucia would “avoid wearing white”.
Poppy would be really ‘cheesed off’ if her period came during her school prom.
Poppy would be really ‘cheesed off’ if her period came during her school prom.
Sport anything like that?
Yeah. So, I think, yeah, swimming would probably be the main one. Because I have used a tampon since the... since I had to go to A&E, but I... again, it’s like quite anxious and I’m like, you know, I get quite worried about it. I’d say wearing certain outfits is the main issue. I’ve definitely had that a lot of times where I’ve wanted... I’ve been going somewhere and I wanted to wear a certain outfit, and then I couldn’t, because I wasn’t wearing the right pants, or I wasn’t... you know, it just... it... it looked wrong. So yeah, I definitely think that’s very irritating. I got the prom dates for next year for my Leavers’ Prom, and I’m so glad that it’s not when my period is because if I did, I’d be very, very cheesed off.
Sport
For some, exercise and sport was harder to do because of periods and period pain. Ela feels less like going running, April would not really want to do sport, and Lily finds that her period makes her feel “sluggish”. Leila was less likely to want to dance. For Emily X, it was having pain that stopped her doing things: ‘If I am experiencing period pain I tend to avoid social or sport activities, however while I am not in pain but still on my period I am able to partake in all activities as I normally would’.
Lily hadn’t wanted to take part in PE at school, but felt the teachers were not understanding.
Lily hadn’t wanted to take part in PE at school, but felt the teachers were not understanding.
So there was school. Does it impact on hobbies like sport, social, hobbies, holidays? Are there other things where your periods have had an impact, maybe?
Yeah, definitely with PE I did try and get out of with... with my periods because it’s just they’re expecting you to do cross country and running and I’m like really heavy and I just, I can’t deal with it. You know, and they’ll just say, “It’s not an excuse really,” or you have to have a letter from your parents, and I think it’s quite embarrassing having to ask your parents: “I’m on my period, can you sign me off?” And my parents would just be like: “Go and do some exercise,” you know, “get... get some oxygen in you.” So, they’d sort of just like not allow me to stay off PE for it.
Others found that exercise helped relieve period pain.
Managing bleeding whilst playing sport was another thing that had to be factored in. This was a worry for Willow Z, who rows.
For Emily, although she tries to get some exercise in every day, the leg and thigh pain she gets with her period means she avoids things like running. For people like Abi and Liv, who played sports for a club team which required regular commitments (and financial costs), it was hard when period pain regularly limited whether they could get to their training or matches.
Liv loves sport, but has had to give up on clubs and team sports, because her period pain was making it impossible to attend sessions, but she made sure she can keep going with scout leading.
Liv loves sport, but has had to give up on clubs and team sports, because her period pain was making it impossible to attend sessions, but she made sure she can keep going with scout leading.
I played netball for a league, and I was in a swimming team in my village... and not in my village, in a vil... a few villages over, and I had to quit them both because doing all my GCSEs and my coursework, and doing sports, and being affected by my period, I was missing so many of the club days, that there was kind of not... not really a point doing it anymore. And kind of sport is one of the main things in my life, and I can only do kind of workouts and running at home now, because the days I can’t do it, at least it’s not my parents paying for something that I’m not going to, so I packed it. I have only... and I’m only able to go to one club now, and that’s... that’s my young leader thing, because I’m... I’ve been in it for 10 years and I’m not... I’m not leaving it.
Swimming was complicated for many. Willow worried about school swimming in case her period started in the water and her period swimsuit wasn’t reliable. Tampons could help, but not everyone felt happy or able to use them and you can read more about managing bleeding here.
Holidays
It could be difficult getting your period and managing bleeding and pain while travelling or on holiday. Ela had a difficult time managing her period in a campsite portaloo, and says her mum told her that “periods will choose the worst time to come”.
Swimming could be a big part of holidays, and that could be hard. Emily Z avoided swimming in the sea. Iris was happy swimming when on holiday on an island, but managing period product disposal was hard for her on the holiday. Lucia felt ok swimming in the pool where she was staying on a holiday, but would not have felt confident to go to a busy beach.
Sage was unwell with her period and period pain on a trek and couldn’t finish the walk, though was able to get to the final destination by travelling on the bus.
Sage was unwell with her period and period pain on a trek and couldn’t finish the walk, though was able to get to the final destination by travelling on the bus.
I was with my friends and we did like this whole... it was a whole trip, like we were helping the community and building stuff, and we also had this point where like we went to [location], and the... it was just five days that we were like trekking to [place name], and my period started on the second day, and that, with altitude, and like probably something I ate, killed me, like it completely knocked me out. I threw up a ton, and it was literally, it turned pitch black at some point, and I was like: ‘why... why are you in this colour?’ And I... like I could barely walk, so I had to stop the hike, and I was sent to a hotel to... well, I didn’t even make it to the bed, I kinda sat on the floor for a bit in agony. And then like as the days got by, ’cause like there was like three days which were my rest... resting-to-hell-and-back days, ’cause I couldn’t really do anything, and then it was like the third day, so like my period started to feel better, and I was like more used to the altitude, so I did end up going to [place name] so that was nice, but I had to take the bus ’cause I couldn’t walk.
Missing out on things can add to the burden of periods and period pain, and adds to the emotional impact of periods [see Feelings and emotions during periods and period cycles].
Copyright © 2024 University of Oxford. All rights reserved.