Mahina launches report on the invisible mental load of menstruation

To mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Mahina—a period care brand—on Wednesday released a report, Beyond Blood: The Unseen Burden of Every Cycle. With this report, the brand shifts focus to a new frontier—the invisible labour menstruators face every cycle. 

The report draws information from the lived experiences of over 1,000 menstruators across eight major cities, aged between 18-45 years.

According to a press statement, the report sheds light on the physical and mental loads carried by women—the emotional strain, disrupted routines, and the pressure to “push through” without complaint- a critical yet long-ignored dimension of menstrual health.

Mahina’s report also shifts the spotlight to the urban menstruator, uncovering critical gaps in awareness, product design, and support.

Some interesting insights from the report include:

What every period demands

• 62% of menstruators reported masking their period symptoms to appear ‘normal’ in professional and social settings.
• 73% said they are impacted by hormonal and emotional changes during their period, but feel compelled to underplay
• Only 3% of menstruators report making no changes during their cycle. The remaining 97% adjust and adapt their lives every month to accommodate menstrual symptoms—physically, emotionally, or logistically. Nearly 3 in 4 women experience a week of routine disruption and hidden labour every month.

The first period

• 76% of menstruators felt the emotional weight of their periods at 8-14, on the onset of their 1st cycle
• While 73% were introduced to menstruation by their mothers, 4 in 5 still felt unprepared for their first period.
• Half of menstruators say they felt excluded by family during their periods, and 2 in 3 say men expect them to manage it quietly.

The physical and mental load

• Leak anxiety is a major contributor to menstrual stress: 72% use extra protection during their period, yet 67% still experience leaks.
• 38% wake up in the middle of the night to check or change menstrual products.
• Many resort to layering or using multiple products simultaneously.
• Emotionally, 64% feel “unlike themselves” during PMS, and 58% dread their periods due to unpredictability.
• Among women aged 25–30, 2 in 3 experience heightened daytime anxiety about leaks. Among these, 3 in 5 sit or move cautiously in public during their periods.
• Remarkably, 1 in 4 respondents said they would prefer to skip their period entirely, highlighting how burdensome and disruptive the experience can be.

What girls and women want

• 56% prioritise comfort and flexibility as their most urgent needs, followed by leak-proof protection and skin-friendly materials.
• In the absence of institutional support, menstruators are creating their own systems of care: 74% carry period products not only for themselves but also for friends, colleagues, and even strangers—a quiet but powerful culture of mutual support.
•  1 in 3 use digital tools like cycle trackers and mental wellness apps to better manage their periods.

An interesting insight from the report also revealed a complex duality in society today. While 1 in 2 respondents believe period pain is real, yet underestimated, and 53% support open conversations, deep-rooted biases continue to persist.

More than half still view period blood as impure; 55% think periods should last exactly five days; and 71% believe delaying a period with medication is harmful.

Speaking about the report, Natasha Jamal, Founder of Mahina, said, “We have always talked about periods in terms of blood. But what no one talks about is everything else: the planning, the pretending, the emotional weight. With this report, we wanted to name that invisible labour and finally give it the recognition it deserves.”