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Talk6 min

3 things that can cause painful periods

Chen X. Chen · TED

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About

Period pain affects hundreds of millions of people. Anywhere from 50 to 90% of people who menstruate deal with painful abdominal or pelvic cramps during their period. Individual experiences can vary, from mild discomfort, to throbbing aches, to contraction-like cramps that rival the pain of labor. So, why do menstrual cramps hurt so much? Chen X. Chen explains this surprisingly common experience. [Directed by Caitlin McCarthy, narrated by Alexandra Panzer, music by Cem Misirlioglu].

The talk

  1. 3 things that can cause painful periods 6 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED-Ed
Speaker
Chen X. Chen
Year
2026
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Biology, Medicine and health, Teaching and learning
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed