Menstrual protection: A health benefit that women cannot afford to overlook.

Currently, the number of female employees in China has reached 86.53 million, accounting for 35.9% of the total workforce. However, according to a recent sample survey report on the implementation of the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Women's Rights and Interests," released by the All-China Women's Federation, 78.5% of women do not receive special protection during their menstrual periods. According to related surveys, in some regions, the incidence of gynecological diseases among working women due to inadequate menstrual care has soared to over 80%.

Women striving in the workplace face the same work pressures as men. However, due to unique biological factors such as menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation, professional women also endure physical and psychological stress that men simply cannot understand. Experts point out that the issue of gynecological diseases caused by professional women’s neglect of proper protection during their menstrual periods cannot be overlooked.

The incidence rate of gynecological diseases among female employees is as high as 50%.

In 2009, the Nanjing Municipal Federation of Trade Unions conducted a statistical survey and found that the incidence rate of gynecological diseases among female employees in Nanjing had reached over 50%. In some workplaces, the incidence rate of gynecological diseases among female employees even exceeded 80%. Similarly, a comprehensive screening of women’s health among female employees in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, revealed a gynecological disease incidence rate of 46.5%. Health examination results from female employees in cities such as Yangzhou, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Urumqi also showed a trend of high incidence rates of gynecological diseases.

Medical research indicates that during menstruation, women experience several physiological changes. First, due to a decline in the body’s resistance, the reproductive organs become less capable of warding off bacterial infections, making women highly susceptible to reproductive tract diseases. Second, during menstruation, pelvic congestion can cause lower back pain, abdominal distension, and feelings of fatigue and weakness. As immune function weakens, failure to pay proper attention to self-care may lead to menstrual disorders or even systemic illnesses. Third, influenced by hormonal fluctuations, estrogen secretion increases significantly, often resulting in lowered or unstable mood and heightened levels of stress and tension. In severe cases, these symptoms can significantly impact women’s daily lives and work performance.

Menstrual protection is key to the “four-phase” protection.

Menstruation is a familiar experience for every woman. If we take into account the average age of 15 for the onset of menstruation and 55 for menopause, with each menstrual cycle lasting about seven days, every woman will spend roughly eight whole years of her life menstruating. As for the discomfort—or even severe dysmenorrhea—caused by menstruation, most women have become accustomed to it and tend to neglect proper protection. Many people mistakenly view menstruation as a purely physiological phenomenon. When menstrual symptoms arise, they either pay no attention to them at all in mild cases or simply endure them as much as possible in more severe ones. Little do they realize that this very attitude actually poses a significant hidden risk for developing various gynecological diseases.

The expert lecturer for the “Sister Shu Women Employees’ Health Public Lecture Series,” Dr. Jin Huiqin, a former gynecologist at the Shaanxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, summarized her many years of clinical experience and teaching insights as follows: “The ‘Four-Stage Protection’ ultimately aims to safeguard female employees from being afflicted by gynecological diseases.” Dr. Jin pointed out that throughout a woman’s life, there are several key stages when she is particularly susceptible to developing gynecological conditions.

During menstruation, the endometrium undergoes periodic shedding and bleeding due to the cyclical changes in the ovaries, leaving wounds on the uterine wall that are highly susceptible to bacterial and pathogen invasion. Moreover, the shedding and bleeding of the endometrium do not occur all at once; in fact, three days before menstruation begins, the endometrium has already started to change. Under the influence of ovarian progesterone and prostaglandins, the endometrium enters the secretory phase. At this stage, the female pelvic cavity is already congested and edematous, and the woman’s overall immune resistance begins to decline. This decline continues until the endometrium finally sheds, marking the onset of menstruation. After menstruation ends, although the endometrium has completely shed and bleeding has stopped, it still requires a recovery period during which special protective measures are necessary. In other words, the three days preceding menstruation and the four days following it are also periods when the body is particularly vulnerable to pathogen invasion. Therefore, strict precautions must be taken during these times; otherwise, the risk of infection significantly increases.

During pregnancy, various inflammations are more likely to occur. During the lactation period, the ovaries primarily focus on producing milk in the breasts; it is only after weaning that their function shifts back to the reproductive organs. During this time, vaginal resistance weakens, making the vagina more susceptible to bacterial infections. By the time of menopause, a woman's ovarian function declines, estrogen secretion decreases, and the entire reproductive system’s ability to fight off disease diminishes, increasing the risk of developing senile vaginitis.

Dr. Jin said that the fundamental and foundational aspect of fourth-stage protection is menstrual-cycle care. Poor menstrual-cycle care can easily lead to inflammation of the reproductive organs, with adnexitis and pelvic inflammatory disease being common examples. Such inflammations can readily result in infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and other complications. Moreover, undergoing surgery under these conditions increases the risk of infection, severe bleeding, and even life-threatening situations. Therefore, boosting the immune defenses of all organs in the reproductive system makes the menstrual period a critical time for preventive measures.

Protecting special interests cannot be simply equated with “welfare.”

Although China’s “Regulations on Labor Protection for Female Employees” and the “Law on the Protection of Women’s Rights and Interests” both stipulate the types of work, labor intensity, and special labor benefits that are prohibited for women during their menstrual period, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding periods, the protection of female employees during these “four periods” has consistently been a weak link. Among these, menstrual-period protection is an important aspect of safeguarding the special interests of female employees; however, the regulations lack specific provisions on menstrual-period protection. Most workplaces simply provide a lump-sum allowance for sanitary expenses or randomly distribute sanitary pads or cleansing products—sometimes even items completely unrelated to “special protection for women.” In some workplaces, there is virtually no attention paid to this issue at all.

It is understood that many leaders in enterprises and institutions lack strong legal awareness and have a weak gender sensitivity. They tend to focus solely on boosting economic efficiency while neglecting labor protection measures for female employees—a problem that is fairly widespread. In response, Du Tianfeng, President of Shaanxi Wan’an Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., believes that when it comes to protecting female employees during their “four phases,” the first step is to shift mindsets. We must stop equating special protection with mere “benefits.” “Special interests” go beyond simply providing hair shampoo or sanitary pads, or merely improving their hygienic conditions. Instead, we need to approach this issue from the perspective of safeguarding female employees’ health rights, meeting their actual needs, enhancing their self-protection awareness, and offering them systematic, comprehensive care. Only in this way can we effectively uphold women’s labor and social security rights as well as their special interests, enabling women to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the great cause of building a moderately prosperous society without any worries. It is reported that since 1998, Shaanxi Wan’an Pharmaceutical has been collaborating with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions’ Women Workers’ Department to organize “Public Health Lectures for Female Employees” nationwide, benefiting over 5 million female workers and achieving significant social benefits.

The reporter learned that the Legislative Affairs Commission of the State Council has already begun revising the "Regulations on Labor Protection for Female Employees," and these revised regulations will be officially promulgated and implemented within this year. The revised regulations will strengthen society's care and attention toward female employees, reaffirm the significance of special protection measures for female workers, and further enhance society's renewed awareness of the importance of safeguarding the special interests of female employees. (Reporter Peng Yun, this newspaper)