Period pain: Men test the menstrual simulator – and can hardly stand it

Created: 07/22/2022, 08:00

By: Judith Brown

Could men endure period pains if they had any?

The results of a menstrual simulator show it.

Munich – Many women struggle with menstrual cramps once a month.

You then not only suffer from abdominal pain.

Cramps, back pain, headaches or gastrointestinal complaints are also common.

Up until now, men had no idea what happened to women.

Thanks to a period simulator, the lords of creation can now also "enjoy" a menstrual experience.

The TikTok channel "Getsomedays" shows men first-hand how painful periods can be for women.

Period pain: Men test the menstrual simulator – and can hardly stand it

Once a month, a woman's uterus sheds the lining that builds up during the menstrual cycle and where a fertilized egg has not implanted after ovulation.

The muscles of the uterus contract spasmodically, which can cause cramps and abdominal pain.

According to a study, period pain can be as bad as a heart attack.

The strength of the cramps is related to the elasticity of the tissue: the more elastic, the more severe the pain can be.

This is mostly the case in young or childless women.

Some women feel a slight tugging, while others feel stabbing cramps.

Men were now also allowed to expose themselves to these complaints using the period simulator.

However, most of the participants could hardly stand the agony that many women go through every month and even doubled over in pain.

Few of them managed to endure the highest level of pain.

Women who experience such pain are often so incapacitated that they have to be given sick leave by a doctor.

Although the symptoms subside after the first ten to twelve hours, they can last for the entire period in women up to the age of 20.

However, anyone experiencing severe pain between the ages of 35 and 45 could have endometriosis.

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Period simulator: are men really more sensitive to pain than women?

Are men really more sensitive to pain than women?

© Leung Cho Pan/IMAGO

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In contrast to women, men are generally considered to be more sensitive to pain and self-pitying.

So are the results of the period simulator test yet another proof that the cliché is true?

Probably not.

Because from a scientific point of view, this is a prejudice.

Numerous studies on pain sensitivity show that women perceive pain more intensely than men.

This is due to the sex hormones estrogen in women and testosterone in men.

In women, estrogen increases pain sensitivity.

At the same time, they have thinner skin than men.

In men, testosterone reduces pain sensitivity.

Fernand Anton, Professor of Biopsychology at the University of Luxembourg, also assumes that sex hormones have an influence on pain sensitivity.

In childhood, the perception of pain in women and men is still similar.

This usually changes with puberty, Anton knows: "Many women's sensitivity to pain also fluctuates with the menstrual cycle." If a woman has already experienced that she is suffering from symptoms, she can prepare for the menstrual pain.

However, clinical studies show that both the pain threshold and the pain tolerance are lower in women than in men.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.