Men Try 'Period Pain Simulator' to Understand How Cramps Feel
As the Comedy Central series Key & Peele once famously asked: "What if we told y'all that once a month half the human race is in pain—and the other half don't wanna hear shit about it?" While an entertaining setup for a comedy sketch called "Menstruation Orientation," it's true that most men have no idea what period pain actually entails.
However, one company is changing that with a so-called "period pain simulator," that for perhaps the first time ever, allows cisgender men to feel the same pain that affects roughly 80 percent of women and people who menstruate. And in doing so, is bringing awareness to the oftentimes debilitating pain the other half regularly experience.
Somedays, which sells cramp creams, heating pads, and herbal teas, among other period-easing products, developed the simulator for precisely this reason. It works by sending small electrical impulses directly to the user's abdominal muscles, "causing it to contract in a similar way to how prostaglandins induce muscle contractions during menstruation."
CEO and co-founder Lux Perry has been testing the simulator on willing participants—who sign a waiver, naturally—and has found that indeed, most men are not equipped to deal with the pain of menstrual cramps.
Perry has been documenting her findings on the company's TikTok account, which boats nearly 700,000 followers. In one video posted last month, which went viral with over 70 million views, a police officer attempts to use the simulator. As the video caption notes, it "goes exactly how you think it would," adding baby and bottle emojis.
The simulator has a range from one to 10. When asked at level six whether he would want to be on duty with this sort of pain, the officer answers with an emphatic "No!"
@getsomedays Guess whose coming back to the #calgarystampede ???? see you there? #periodpainsimulator #periodpain #stampede2023
♬ original sound - Somedays | Period Pain Relief
For anyone wondering just how realistic the pain is, a FAQ section on the company's website notes that while everyone experiences period pain differently, that the simulator has been tested on over 50 people with periods who have determined that it is indeed very accurate.
Perhaps, this is why some of the more popular videos on the Somedays TikTok account have heterosexual couples test the limits of the machine together. In just about every instance, the male partner squirms and winces his way through.
One video posted just earlier this week demonstrates a woman casually telling a story through level nine period cramps while her partner writhes in pain. "Ow! There's no way," he exclaims at one point, while she laughs it off.
@getsomedays Love when couples try the period pain simulator together ???????? #periodpain #periodpainsimulator #calgarystampede #endo #calgarycrampede
♬ original sound - Somedays | Period Pain Relief
But while these demonstrations give those without a uterus a chance to put themselves in the other half's shoes, albeit briefly, many commenters point out that pain is just one component of dealing with menstruating.
In addition to cramps, many people experience symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and moodiness while on their periods, not to mention the bathroom issues. And on top of that, level 10 cramps can sometimes last for hours or days, not just a few minutes. But hey, at least it's something.