5 minute read
It’s probably nothing
Journalist Naga Munchetty’s new book asks why women’s pain is dismissed as normal. In an exclusive Q and A with MC Magazine, she talks frankly about her own pain, what needs to change and how women can advocate for themselves.
MC: What sparked your interest in the topic of women and pain?
NM: For years my periods involved passing out, throwing up, extreme fatigue, and excessive painkiller consumption. I wasn’t asked the right questions by health care professionals and was just told it was normal.
Women’s pain has been dismissed for so long. It’s almost as if we’re made for pain because we are ‘designed’ to give birth. There’s a feeling that if we can put up with that, we should be able to put up with everything else. It’s total nonsense.
It was a piece by columnist Caitlin Moran on coil insertion that really got me thinking about women and pain. I remember ranting at work about my own coil fitting. There was silence and I thought I’d gone too far, but they said, ‘No, you have to tell this story’.
MC: Why did you decide to write a book?
NM: Journalists are not usually the subject of the story, but when I publicly shared my coil experience and pain from adenomyosis,* the response was incredible. I realised just how many women are affected. The noise we created back then meant that the adenomyosis reference on the NHS website was updated from a single link to hysterectomy to more detailed information.
It made me wonder why so many women are dismissed and left undiagnosed for common conditions, often being told they’re overdramatic or hysterical. Once you realise it’s happening, you can’t unsee it and the more I talk about it, the more people share their struggles.
MC: Isn’t it true that women seek help more quickly than men?
NM: I don’t believe that women are more likely to seek help. When a woman goes to see a doctor, it could have been weeks or months since her symptoms began, because women are often so busy and often prioritise others over their own health.
I think there’s a perception that when men go to the doctors, they need to be taken seriously because they’re so reluctant to ask for help generally. Women don’t necessarily talk about their pain; they don’t want to waste anyone’s time.
Statistics may show that women visit their GP more often than men, but maybe it’s because more things are going wrong in their bodies.
MC: Why don’t doctors help more?
NM: Health care professionals do want to make things better for their patients but often don’t have the time, information, resources or tools to make that happen. As a result, women are told there’s nothing wrong, that nothing can be done, or that their pain is normal. Women know when something is wrong but they’re often left not knowing where to turn. I’ve spoken to women who were made to feel like their lifestyle was to blame for their problems, which just isn’t right.
I want to emphasise that pain is not normal. Our bodies are not designed for pain and anything that negatively impacts our day to day lives is not normal.
MC: What should happen?
NM: Pain needs to be validated and recognised. Being told that there is a problem can actually be one of the most reassuring things for someone because the perception of pain as standard is hurtful. People’s experience of their own bodies is unique and individual, and the attitude that women are hysterical and weak needs to change.
If a solution hasn’t been found after your first consultation or you don’t believe the doctor is properly hearing you, you should ask for a second opinion. Keep asking and don’t worry about ‘wasting’ anyone’s time. We put more pressure on the health care system by using it when we’re even more ill, so it’s beneficial for medical professionals to treat us better and sooner.
Your appointment with a doctor has to be a collaboration. Doctors don’t have all the answers. We need to take responsibility for understanding what is abnormal for us and be able to articulate that well. Doctors may have a medical background, but we are the experts of our own bodies.
We need to go in armed with information so the doctor can find an answer more quickly. But no one is taught how to do this and that’s a big problem.
MC: What do you want from the book publication?
NM: To become informed we need the right tools, knowledge and information. We need to have fewer stories where women have been in pain, dismissed and frustrated, unable to live the life they deserve. I hope the book will go some way to helping women advocate for themselves. Things need to change because when women are healthy and they’re able to be their best selves, it will benefit all of us.
*Adenomyosis is a condition where the lining of the womb (uterus) starts growing into the muscle in the wall of the womb.
Naga Munchetty’s book includes an interview with Dr Chris Barker who leads Mersey Care’s pain management service.
According to the British Medical Journal, around 28 million adults in the UK live with chronic pain. The pain management service has developed a suite of videos to raise awareness about how they help reduce the impact of living with persistent pain. View them here.
