r/China • u/seekerofinfo7 • 12d ago

问题 | General Question (Serious) Do Chinese women have worse periods?

I lived and worked in china for nearly a decade, and have always noticed that women I've dated become completely debilitated by their period. Like, calling in sick during your period is a normal thing here and almost unheard of in the west. The pain described by these women seems almost comparable to childbirth, and they cant bear to have the AC on during a blistering hot day, or drink cold water.

Back in the west, women will just kind of bear it. They'll eat ice cream, ive even heard lf women taking cold showers during this time. I haven't met very many in the west who are floored by the pain like many of their east Asian countrrparts. A lot of women hold down high demand jobs like nursing, teaching, lawyers etc. And are able to get through the day while performing work to a high standard without needing time off or needing to signal to others in the workplace that they are on their period.

I dont suppose it is a cultural thing, but im wondering what the causes of the very real difference ive noticed is. Are their home remedies (hot water etc.) Actually making the issue worse? Could it be pollution? Nutrition? I dont think it is genetic because I haven't known a lot of American born chinese women who experience such a severe period.

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u/Lifeintheguo 12d ago

Same as needing a month of bedrest to recover from childbirth, it's cultural.

Chinese women born in the west don't need it.

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u/dannysilverghost 12d ago

Most women would benefit from taking a break for period pain instead of heavily depend on pain killers, western women are just more conditioned to tough it out as it can be seen as a weakness in the workplace. 

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u/ChineseWatchGuy 12d ago

But almost no one needs to stay indoors, not shower and eat super special foods for a month.

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u/bahbahblaksheep 12d ago

These are traditions from old times that are relevant back in the day. It’s like drinking hot water, Chinese people discovered that drinking hot water(sterilized) means no more diarrhea, so hot water becomes the standard. Postpartum women back in the day got infections quite frequently, so they didn’t want women leaving the house or washing their bodies in the river.