New Delhi: Every woman in the world is very well aware of the menstrual woes. From abdominal cramps to discomfort, menstruation is a war in itself. However, it is very difficult to describe the pain to those who do not menstruate. But not anymore. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has organised a menstrual pain simulator facility in Kochi’s Lulu mall where people can come forward in order to ‘experience’ the pain. A video, recording the gamut of reactions in the volunteers, has now gone viral.
The #feelthepain event was held as part of ‘Cup of Life’, a campaign by Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, in a bid to promote menstrual hygiene and break taboos associated with period.
The video clip, shared by Cup of Life’s Instagram handle, shows several men crying out loud and struggling to bear the pain induced by the simulator.
When asked if he had tried the period pain simulator, MP Eden said, “I am going to. I did once. It’s not painful. It’s painful in a very irritating way.”
The video clip was also shared by Instagram user Agrim Prakash, who is seen trying the period pain simulator and finding it unbearable. “I once read somewhere that in American Sign Language, the sign for having your period is basically punching yourself in the face… I was today years old when I found out what this joke meant,” read the caption of his post.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Dr Akhil Imanuel, project coordinator of Cup of Life initiative, said that the pain induced by the simulator was only a fraction of the actual ache experienced during period cramps.
“Still, many could not tolerate the maximum intensity of pain induced by the simulator,” he said.
It is to be noted that the Kerala MP had launched the Cup of Live drive with an aim to distribute menstrual cups to over 1 lakh beneficiaries in his constituency for free within 24 hours.