A report has found that university students miss around six weeks of their education due to their menstrual cycle.
This figure rises to 11 weeks for those suffering from menstruation-related illnesses such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which accounts for 10 per cent of the students surveyed in the study.
The research, conducted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), explored the “hidden impact” of menstruation on university studies. On average, the students surveyed missed 10 days of academic study each year.
Since the publication of the report, The Tab has spoken to students and graduates suffering with menstrual-related conditions. This is what they said.
‘I was bed bound’
Ellie Ring, University of Edinburgh graduate
Ellie Ring, a university graduate and editor of RealityShrine, struggled with painful periods during her time at university.
She said she became unable to complete her exams due to “a really, really bad pain flare up, and at one point lost the “ability to walk”.
“I was bed bound for probably six to eight months,” The University of Edinburgh graduate explained.
Ellie also noted that she struggled with her assignments due to “awful brain fog” during which “you can’t even think properly, you’re absolutely exhausted”. She further told The Tab that her illness did “derail” her university experience as she endured pain “24-7 for the entire month”.
She has since been diagnosed with endometriosis and commends her university for offering to record lectures.
“When you’re in that level of pain, nothing is going in,” Ellie noted.
However, following this, Ellie spoke to her advisor and decided to leave university early, graduating with the credits she had already earned.
‘I couldn’t concentrate on anything’
Jamie Mayne, a fourth year English student, suffers with extreme camps, headaches, muscle aches and nausea. As a result, she was unable to “attend lectures or seminars during the first few days” of her period. This would lead her to miss “at least a day or two a month”.
Speaking to The Tab, Jamie said: “I could barely stand up straight some days from the pain of the cramps and the head rush that accompanied movement so the thought of getting ready and concentrating in a class even just for an hour was unfathomable.”
She continued by saying: “Even on days when I wasn’t supposed to be in classes, I couldn’t concentrate on anything.
“So, for example, I would have to have days off writing assignments and seminar prep. I’d then feel guilty and overwhelmed at missing content, but there really was nothing I could do.
“My flatmate asked if I wanted him to come with me to the hospital the first time he saw me with cramps.”
So, how do students want universities to support them?
The report concluded with recommendations for how universities could support students suffering from menstruation-related illness and pain. Suggestions included implementing policies to de-stigmatise and raise awareness of the taboo subject for both staff and students at higher education institutions.
Such an approach is evidently needed as Ellie believed that after her diagnosis her pain was “taken a bit more seriously”. She also urged universities to be “understanding” and have systems in place for those unable to attend sessions in person such as recording lectures and providing pain relief.
Adding to this, Jamie promoted “a dial-in option for seminar groups…for anyone with an illness which flared regularly”.
Speaking to The Independent, Rose Stephenson, HEPI director of policy and report, said: “Menstrual health is not a niche concern. It is a structural issue that deserves thoughtful institutional and governmental responses.”
The report hopes to prompt further research into the impact of menstrual-related conditions on education and encourage students to seek support.
