Ariel's period pain was bad enough to land her in the hospital, but she didn't go at first because she was afraid of not being taken seriously. "You see this happen way too often to Black women," she told POPSUGAR. "The time I did decide to tell a doctor about my period pain and nausea, I was prescribed ibuprofen and some medication for the nausea, which made me more nauseous." She never received any kind of test or diagnosis that would help explain her severe pain.
When she would call out of work each month, Ariel faced more apathy from her supervisors. "I was blaming it on other things because of my fear of rejection or again, not being taken seriously. The time I did build up enough courage to tell them the real reason I was in pain, my supervisor told me I couldn't call off," she said. Ariel hasn't found a solution to her PMS or menstrual pain, but explained that she has found some months to be more manageable when she pays closer attention to other healthy habits, like staying hydrated and eating more veggies. "I also started using The Honey Pot menstrual products, because the herbal-infused pads bring more comfort than your average pad," she said.
