🩸 what we're finally seeing in women's health

for decades now, women's health has been continuously spoken about in pieces of a puzzle. symptoms were separated from emotions, hormones away from habits, and biology barricaded from daily lives. but when you start connecting the dots, patterns start to arise. these aren't exactly new, they've always been here. we're just starting to notice them.

for a couple months now, i have had the pleasure to be working within MĚI, a youth-led organization working to help advance menstrual and reproductive health equity. not just through research, but by listening to lived experiences. and lately, those experiences have begun to reveal something really powerful.

cycles beyond calendar

so much of women's health has revolved around cycles. whether it be a monthly cycle or a hormonal cycle, what has become clearer is that these cycles deeply shape us in multiple ways. for multiple generations now, women have been told that pain, exhaustion, or emotional changes are simply just part of that cycle. but when you start to look closer, you start to see the connections. there's fatigue that appears with hormonal dips, mood changes that happen with not enough sleep or too much stress, and cramps that come up with shifts in nutrition. there aren't just coincidences, these are communications. "for years i thought i was being unpredictable," one woman shared with us, "now i realize i was just unobserved."

redefining what is "normal"

so much of what has been labeled normal in women's health is really just common. being in pain for days to the point where women miss school or work because of cramps, or feeling dismissed by different healthcare providers are normal experiences that were mentioned by many women when women from the community were asked about themselves. as MĚI continues to gather stories and reflections from different women, one theme resurfaced multiple times -- awareness. once women began to see their cycles as systems within them rather than inconveniences, everything starts to shift. for example, one woman got back to us saying "i thought i was just tired all the time, but then i realized my energy dropped at the same point every month". she has learned to listen to her body, like many have.

the rhythm behind it all

female health isn't static, it moves. it is a breathing and moving cycle. and yet, for so so long, women have been expecting to perform with the same consistency every day, regardless of what was actually happening. more women are starting to reject this expectation, though. "when i stopped forcing myself to be the same every week, i started being kinder to myself" one woman said. it's not about surrendering to discomfort - it's about understanding the conversation with your body.

where is it going now

as awareness grow, organizations like MĚI, are bringing forth more research and advocacy to begin to frame menstrual and hormonal health as central to women's well-being. what was once taboo to discuss is becoming something common in society's dictionary. and this is where real change starts, not in a lab, but in awareness in noticing patterns as signals.

because when women begin to recognize their bodies as teachers in a safe and nurturing environment, they start to uncover mysteries. they start leading the conversation, one cycle at a time.

~ ☀️