Women narrate experiences as Nigerian student uses art to raise awareness

The commencement of menstruation in most parts of the world is a sign that a girl has come of age. It is even celebrated in some parts of the world and, in some other parts, women and girls are isolated when they have their period.

For many young people, it is the assurance that one is not expecting a baby.

But that is far from Bukola Osawu’s reality. The 25-year-old has always had painful menstruation since she started menstruating at 11.

“Every month that I have my period, it is extremely painful. It is so painful that I have to be induced to sleep,” she said recalling how she got by in secondary school.

The injection administered would stop her flow, she told PREMIUM TIMES but it provided the relief she desperately needed at the time even though she was concerned about the long-term effect.

“Each time I went to the clinic, they would ask why I could not endure ‘ordinary’ period pain. Only if they know how painful it is,” Ms Osawu said.

Becoming an adult did not save her, what it did, was make her responsible for herself. As an undergraduate, having her period meant she was not going to be in class.

“When my period is one or two weeks away, I am always so anxious and sad because I know there is pain waiting somewhere,” Ms Osawu told PREMIUM TIMES.

Several medical investigations showed nothing was wrong with her, the closest she heard to something being wrong was hormonal imbalance.

On getting to China for her graduate studies, she repeated the same investigations and got the same result, “there is nothing wrong.”

“Is it that there is no research on this? I am not fine!” she said with much frustration in her voice.

Ms Osawu said she is now able to ‘endure’ the pain “because I cannot drag myself to the clinic because of the pain.” Her way of enduring the pain is crying the pain out, using a hot water bottle, using painkillers (as many as can ease the pain) and staying away from food so she does not throw up.

She has explored several options including herbal remedies in Nigeria and none have solved her problem. “I just want a solution,” she added.

Perhaps not as severe as that of Ms Osawu, Chisom Okonkwo, 27, like many women and girls of menstruating age, is unsure what her monthly flow will bring, pain or intense pain.

“I recall once I told my mum I wanted to die due to the pain I was feeling,” she told PREMIUM TIMES.

Narrating her monthly ordeal, she said some months are better than others. Sometimes she could manage the pain in her stomach that menstruating comes with every month while other times she is at the mercy of Felvin, a regular Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Drug (NSAID) used to ease the pain.

Even though Ms Okonkwo has felt like she preferred to die on some occasions, Kosi Onyeukwu a Nigerian doctor, said some women have it worse, clarifying that what the two women experience – dysmenorrhea – is of two types – primary and secondary. She said what most women and girls experience is primary dysmenorrhea.

Primary dysmenorrhea is the contraction of the uterus causing pain that lasts one to two days or throughout menstruation.

In addition to NSAID, Ms Onyeukwu, said there are other non-medical ways people explore in managing dysmenorrhea including hot water bottles, acupuncture, and massage. However, it is important to know what type of dysmenorrhea is being treated or managed.

On the other hand, secondary dysmenorrhea happens when the pain lasts for a longer time. It often occurs in women with underlying health issues like infection, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis amongst others.

An instant relief but long-term enemy

Ms Osawu said she is aware that the painkillers (NSAIDs) are bad for her health, yet she consumes them because it is the only readily available solution.

“NSAIDs have side effects. It is not advisable to take them regularly,” Ms Onyeukwu said, adding that the side effects include stomach ulcers, exacerbating kidney issues for people with existing conditions as well as other health implications.

Iwara Etim, a resident doctor at the University of Calabar, noted that prolonged use of painkillers for women of reproductive age may affect also fertility.

Not enough awareness

“There is not enough awareness about dysmenorrhea,” Ms Onyeukwu told this newspaper.

It could be natural sometimes, especially when it is just the contraction of the uterus, she said, but when it is at the secondary stage, it is no longer natural but a lot of people do not know this.

Ms Onyeukwu said that the responsibility to raise awareness about dysmenorrhea should not be left to the medical community alone.

“We also need policies, in workplaces too, that create a conducive environment for women to seek help and talk about this,” she said.

Similarly, Mr Etim said, proper sensitisation alongside girl child education and awareness campaigns with medical outreach can improve the knowledge of dysmenorrhea.

Ms Onyeukwu also noted that shame and stigma are sometimes associated with menstruation and all sectors of society must come together to address such.

Using Art to raise awareness

Inspired by the works of Tracy Emin, a UK artist, Chidinma Ikegwuonu, a 29-year-old Nigerian artist, as part of her master’s programme at the University of Salford, Manchester, is focusing on using art to raise awareness about dysmenorrhea.

She said Ms Enim’s openness in using art to tell her Stoma story, “motivated me to address a condition often overlooked—dysmenorrhea and the impact of silence on women in Africa.”

In the course of her research, Ms Ikegwuonu found that religious and cultural factors played a significant role in how women talk about menstruation.

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Instead of having people talk about dysmenorrhea and menstruation, she is deploying art as a form of therapy and a means of expression asking women to make a visual representation of what they feel each time.

According to Ms Ikegwuonu, some of the women she spoke to said they are unable to articulate how they feel during their cycle which makes it difficult for anyone to help, hence the use of art.

“In Western countries, participants were generally open, while in Africa, the reluctance stemmed from a sense of shame or the perception that discussing it was unnecessary,” she told PREMIUM TIMES.

She hopes her research will influence how society perceives and treats women with dysmenorrhea, particularly in workplaces.

“I hope that discussing this topic more openly can shift perspectives and encourage further dialogue,” Ms Ikegwuonu said, adding that increased research in the medical field will enhance the understanding of dysmenorrhea, potentially leading to solutions for those affected.

After her programme in Manchester, she plans to return to Nigeria to host an exhibition on dysmenorrhea awareness.