Protests and periods: Can participation affect your cycle?
Residents of Kakamega town demonstrate against the Finance Bill 2024 on June 25, 2024.
Have you experienced any changes in your menstrual cycle after taking part in a protest?
According to scientists, irregular changes in girls' and women's menstrual cycles are inevitable. They could be related to various reasons, including during protests.
Exposure to tear gas can have various physiological effects, and there is some evidence to suggest that it may affect the menstrual cycle.
Tear gas, which includes compounds such as CS (chlorobenzylidene malononitrile) and CN (chloroacetophenone), is best known for its acute effects on the respiratory system, skin and eyes. However, its effects on reproductive health, including the menstrual cycle, have also been the subject of concern.
When a user posted on X after the demonstrations on Thursday, June 20 that her doctor had advised her that tear gas disrupts the endocrine system, we delved into the research.
"Also, girlies (sic) who have been inhaling tear gas since Tuesday, my doc told me today that it also affects menstrual cycles; if you have extreme uterine cramps, delayed periods or they start early, it could be from all the chemicals you inhaled..." the X user wrote.
Many women responded to the post, saying they had noticed a change in their cycles.
"I tell you, on Tuesday I even said it huku (sic) and when I got home I immediately started bleeding. Kumbe (sic) it's the chemicals za tear gas. Kwani (sic) how sensitive are some of us?" said another user.
Another woman, who was not directly involved in the protests but was caught in the tear gas cloud on her way to work, tells Nation.Africa, said she had also noticed a change in her menstrual cycle.
"My menstrual cycle is always like clockwork, three to three and a half weeks for five days. I had my last period on June 13 and it was a normal cycle. Then, to my shock and horror, I started my period five days later," she says.
"I was completely shocked because nothing had changed in my life. A lot of the questions in my mind were, was I stressed, anxious, maybe? I am now curious about my cycle as I am due for another cycle next week," she said.
Dr Dennis Miskellah, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, puts the phenomenon down to prolonged periods of stress.
"Our bodies function through intricate chemical interactions driven by hormones. These hormones not only affect menstrual cycles, but also our moods. Studies have shown that stress can significantly alter a woman's menstrual pattern," he explains.
"For example, just as a pregnant woman might go into labour after receiving shocking news, stress can trigger the onset of menstruation. Similarly, factors such as long-distance travel, changes in the weather or disruptions to circadian rhythms can stress the body and lead to changes in the menstrual cycle," he explains.
Dr Miskellah stresses that events such as protests, which are inherently stressful for women due to prolonged exposure and emotional distress, can also cause such changes.
Dr Steve Mutiso, an obstetrician and gynaecologist specialising in minimal access surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital, clarifies that what women experience in such situations is abnormal bleeding, not a regular menstrual cycle.
"Under normal circumstances, the body sheds the endometrial lining during menstruation and the subsequent bleeding comes from the uterine wall. However, in stress-induced bleeding, this process is disrupted, resulting in irregular bleeding patterns," he points out.
As for why this bleeding may appear to follow a menstrual pattern, Dr Mutiso puts it down to chance rather than a predictable cycle.
"The duration, intensity and timing of such bleeding can vary greatly," he says.
Dr Miskellah stresses that while these physiological responses are more pronounced in women, men can also experience similar effects, ranging from increased anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
However, a study published in the journal Frontiers of Epidemiology shows that there is a link between exposure to chemical agents used by police and adverse reproductive health outcomes reported by participants.
These included "uterine cramps (69 per cent), early menstrual bleeding (55 per cent), breast tenderness (30 per cent) and delayed menstrual bleeding (19 per cent)," the study said.
"Number of days exposed to tear gas, history of menstrual stress response, income, hormone use, and region of exposure were significantly associated with reproductive health outcomes related to tear gas exposure," the study explains.
"Participants with a history of menstrual stress response may have experienced adverse reproductive outcomes due to the stress and trauma of police violence experienced during the protests, regardless of the use of tear gas, which is consistent with the research literature on the reproductive health effects of police violence," the study adds.
