What women should not do during their period: debunking myths

Spain recently became the first country in Europe to legally allow women to take menstrual leave. Despite the fact that doctors point out that menstruation is not an illness, it is still a rather delicate condition, during which women are advised to pay attention to their own well-being. It is necessary to be guided by this criterion, and not by numerous myths, which shroud menstruation.

To debunk the most popular myths, "ICTV Facts" asked gynecologist Olga Lashkul, candidate of medical sciences. She told us which of these stereotypes have a rational basis and which are pure fiction.

Pain is a necessary companion of menstruation.

It is considered natural for a woman to feel pain during monthly periods, so you just have to endure it. In fact, strong discomfort does not occur to all women - some may not feel anything at all. But if you do suffer from menstrual pain, then you should not put life on pause because of the natural condition. Rate your feelings on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is no pain at all and 10 is so bad it's time to call an ambulance. Anything from 5 or higher means you need pain relief.

Physical activity should be avoided

In fact, light exercise can alleviate menstrual discomfort. Therefore yoga or dancing will be even beneficial - it will help to relax the uterus and relieve pain. But power exercises should really be limited, because they can increase blood loss. In general, be guided by your feelings. If something bothers you while doing a certain exercise, just replace it with another one.

It is forbidden to take a hot bath

Some doctors even recommend lying in hot water to reduce the pain syndrome. If a heating pad helps during menstruation, then a whole bath does not help at all. So, if you are not worried about blood in the water, allow yourself this way of relaxation.

Sex is contraindicated

There is no clear prohibition against intimacy during your period. If you and your partner are happy with everything, then do not deny yourself anything. All the more, women in these days of the cycle can increase libido, and an orgasm can eliminate the discomfort in the abdomen and back, and even accelerate the end of menstruation. However, because of the increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections inherent in this period, be sure to use a condom.

You can't get pregnant during your period

In fact, this is not the case. Fertilization may well occur. Only because of the detachment of the uterine mucosa, which occurs during your period, the egg will not be able to attach. In addition, for women who have a short menstrual cycle, because of unprotected sex during your period, pregnancy can occur later. All because of the ability of sperm to live in a woman's body for up to 7 days. So, if you have unprotected intercourse happened on your 4th or 5th period, and you ovulate on the 10th day of your cycle, successful fertilization is quite possible. Which means if you are not planning a pregnancy, that's another reason to make love on these days with barrier protection.

To make your period easier, you need to take blood thinning medication

In fact, such a medicine can increase the duration of menstruation and increase blood loss. That is why you should not just take it. If you need to thin your blood on a regular basis, talk to your doctor about it.

You may have your breasts examined

Your breasts experience different things during different periods of your menstrual cycle, too. That's why they can be painful before your period. These changes are also reflected in the results of ultrasound or mammography. Therefore doctors advise to wait for the end of bleeding and then apply for such diagnostics.

Blood donation is forbidden

There is no strict ban on donation during menstruation, but it is still undesirable. First of all, you should not intensify natural blood loss by adding artificial withdrawal to it. This can adversely affect your well-being. In addition, during menstruation the hemoglobin level in a woman's blood decreases, which means that the blood taken will not be of very high quality. So it is really better to wait until menstruation is over and then go to a donor site.

Previously, OBOZREVATEL told how aphrodisiacs work and what they are.

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