Spain has approved a draft bill that becomes the first country in Europe to entitle workers to paid menstrual leave. The measures are part of a package of proposals that will be sent to Spain's parliament for debate.

Meanwhile, it proposes giving workers who suffer from severe period pain three days of optional medical leave a month, with two additional days permitted in exceptional cases.

"We will recognise in the law the right to leave for women who have painful periods that will be financed by the state," equality minister Irene Montero tweeted on Friday.( Part Text Taken from Sky News Tuesday 17 May 2022 21:08, UK) 

Currently, in the UK there is no legal requirement to support workers who menstruate, this includes cisgender women, non-binary people, and Tran's men. However, we are aware of some UK companies who have taken the initiative to implement their own corporate policy to accommodate paid leave for people who menstruate.25 May 2022. ( Taken From Goggle) 

Below is my true account. And why we need your help and support please. No person should have the mentally crippling stress of not feeling supported, have to explain to an employer their painful story, suffer the embarrassment in a non open communication environment or feel uncomfortable and have to carry the full financial burden themselves. We need the Menstrual Bill here in the UK. I'm asking the people of the UK to debate this and then we can ask the government to debate this and please follow Spains lead and create our Menstral Bill UK that works for all persons affected by this.

So on behalf of all those women like myself or persons that have menstral problems whom are suffering,  I shall share my story with hope the pain I am suffering will help them in the future. It will be to late for support for me, as I've chosen a full hysterectomy to end my suffering, however the pain would have been worth if its part of the solution for future persons.

At 1:30 am, Abi wakes to an all too familiar feeling. She's felt it for a few days now, and she knows the score. But no matter how often this happens, she is never without hope that maybe this time, it will be different. In the still and quiet, Abi's mind turns to the week's events, all to be cancelled. Dread washes over her as she prays her clients and commitments will understand. Not now, it's only 3 am, but as soon as the clock strikes 7 am, she will need to postpone every appointment again. For now, Abi tries to lift herself from her pillow to begin preparations for the inevitable. Towels stacked by the bed, a bucket and a bottle of water with both prescriptive and over-the-counter pain control medication. She takes her prescriptive pain killers, closes her eyes and hopes for a moment of rest. Abi always wanted a family. The last in a line of strong women, it always hurt to consider her family line could end with her. At 35, Abi was diagnosed with fibroids. Abi knew that if her condition worsened, she might not be able to conceive, but Abi wanted to wait for the right partner. Finally, a decade after her diagnosis, Abi met a man who could support her life ambitions, and she fell pregnant. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. Abi lost the baby at seven weeks. Already consumed by grief, Abi had no idea of what was about to follow. Fast forward four years, in a quaint tearoom amongst the Surrey Hills, Abi, sat down with me to talk about her experience in the hopes of helping women suffering from the same condition. 'I was isolated for the longest time, embarrassed; I felt I couldn't translate the pain I was going through whenever I had to cancel plans with friends because of a heavy period. It sounded like an excuse; even I wouldn't buy it! So ultimately, I withdrew completely, and the pain became unbearable.’ Abi Oleck-Hewett is an elite facialist with a billionaire client base. Owner of BeauBronz and BeauSkin London, Abi has an entrepreneurial heart and a warm disposition. On meeting her, it is clear why her clients choose her for their self-care treatments. With a smile and a quick-witted one-liner from Abi, we settle in to begin. Abi sufferers from Fibroids. A condition in which growths develop in or around the uterus. According to the NHS website, fibroids are often undetected as they rarely cause any symptoms. However, in cases where women experience symptoms, they can suffer heavy/painful periods, abdominal pain, lower back pain, frequent urination, constipation and pain or discomfort during sex. In rare cases, further complications caused by fibroids can affect pregnancy or cause infertility. Taking a sip of water, Abi continued to explain the events that bought her to the present day. After the loss of her pregnancy, grief stricken and fearful she may not carry another, Abi found that the symptoms from her previously manageable periods had worsened. Now hardly able to leave the house, Abi's relationship crumbled, her work was threatened, and friendships were placed under strain. Fearful her miscarriage had somehow worsened her fibroid condition, Abi sought medical intervention. In January 2021, Abi was prescribed the contraceptive pill to eradicate her periods. Unfortunately, 4.5 months of continuous blood loss ensued, resulting in Abi's hospitalisation and placement on a tranexamic acid drip to stop the bleeding. The months preceding her hospitalisation were through a national lockdown, and she could not see her GP. Nevertheless, Abi had contacted her local surgery weekly to advise of her heavy blood loss and to seek help for her worsening condition. Now wearing incontinence pads for brief moments of mobility around her home, Abi was mostly bed-bound, fatigued, anaemic and isolated. When she was admitted to the hospital, it was explained that the symptoms she was experiencing weren't typical effects of the pill as she had been told, or anything to do with the pill. Consequently, she was told to stop taking it immediately. Abi explains that she has half a dozen fibroids, each measuring around 6cm. This has swollen her abdomen, meaning Abi’s condition is often mistaken for pregnancy by unknowing acquaintances. 'I have always taken pride in my health. I mostly eat fresh fish and veggies, and I juiced daily. I regularly attended yoga retreat vacations and loved my weekly boot camp classes! Now I can hardly eat, my torso is disproportionate to the rest of my body, and I don't recognise myself. I lost around 50% of my energy, and my waist measures 42 inches. I used to love dressing up to go out, but now I feel anxious leaving home and only wear clothes with an elasticated waist. Aside from my appearance, I feel frail. I am now anaemic, fatigued and living with chronic pain across my abdomen, hips, and lower back. I am breathless and can't handle extended periods of activity. It's awful. I feel like a shadow of my former self and want to return to being me.' Abi explains that while living with chronic pain in the weeks surrounding her period, she is bed bound. 'I can't leave the house; I have tried every form of sanitary wear, and nothing helps for longer than an hour. The pain gets so bad I vomit; it is worse than the pain I felt through my miscarriage, like someone breaking every bone in my torso. I will admit I take all the painkillers I can get my hands on during this time. I have also been prescribed strong sleeping tablets because I can't sleep for days due to the unrelenting pain. When the pain subsides to a manageable amount, usually around day 5, I climb out of bed to bin my bedding, towels, pyjamas, and mattress. I can never restore them in the wash, so I don't buy anything for my home or myself that I wouldn't mind putting in the bin.' Abi talks about the affects her condition has had on her mental health. 'The symptoms last for two weeks, meaning I am sick for half of the month and fearful of being sick for the other half. I feel embarrassed. I suffer tremendous mood swings because of my hormones, medication, and sleep deprivation. It has affected every connection in my life. I have lost friends and relationships. As for work. I lose 25% of my income every month because of this. I love my job, and I would happily work 16-hour days. My clients are fantastic and have been so supportive. I have been very fortunate; however, I feel I am providing less of a service to my clients, having to cancel last minute or ask for their understanding of my condition.’ Abi is due to have her hysterectomy any day now. This was the only option as the fibroids were growing both inside and outside the uterus, meaning a Uterine Artery Embolization, where Fibroids are shrunk via less invasive means, would not be effective. When I asked Abi about how she felt giving up such a huge part of herself to feel well, she replied 'In the last few weeks, I have thought a lot about family while waiting for my operation. However, I am hopeful for the future. I hope to one day adopt or foster. In the meantime, I look forward to regaining my energy (pending any menopausal symptoms which still make me nervous), building my businesses and returning to being me. In sharing my story, I hope to help other women who may be suffering the same and feeling the same isolation I felt. As much as I felt my medical care had placed the onus on myself to deal with the pain as a 'normal side effect'. I am also grateful to the hospital staff who listened and cared for me. In particular, the paramedic who carried me out of my bathtub barely conscious and pooled in my own blood. It was the first time I experienced compassion and acknowledgement of my pain. He gave me gas and air and took me to the hospital, where I was placed on a morphine drip. I also found great comfort in the Facebook groups. That reassured me that I wasn't going crazy and wasn't entirely alone, and it was there that I discovered that a fibroid tummy was a real thing! I am in a fortunate position where I can take control of the next phase of my life and have registered with the Marion Gluck Clinic to get menopausal support. Abi signals the bill, indicating our time together is at an end. With time for one final question, I ask. What advice would you give to women who read this and resonate with your story? As swiftly as she signalled the bill, Abi says ‘Talk. Know you are not going crazy; know that if you feel pain and discomfort, that is not normal and not something you should have to live with. I believe in our NHS. It is a great institution, and I am so grateful for the care I received. However, I have also experienced a distinct lack of understanding, so if you are suffering, talk. If you ever feel alone, I found great information and comfort within the online community. But most of all, don't lose sight of who you are. It is easy to get swallowed up in pain without end. As hard as it can be to get up and do something that makes you happy, it is the little things that make up a person, and by holding tightly to those small happy truths, you can pull through.