New Tokyo clinic helps elementary school girls, teens tackle period pain, symptoms
TOKYO -- A clinic helping patients as young as primary school girls who have just had their first period deal with pain and other symptoms has opened in the Japanese capital to address menstrual concerns early on, especially since many children hesitate to visit gynecologists.
The "Pill clinic starting from elementary school students" opened within certified nonprofit organization Florence Inc.'s children's mental health clinic in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in June. The facility also has a pediatric department and a clinic for truant children, as well as a psychosomatic medicine department for women.
Shiho Kurihara, a family doctor who treats patients from young to old, examines patients at the new clinic. She offers consultation to those who are struggling with period pain, and provides a range of treatment options including painkillers, low-dose birth control pills and traditional Chinese herbal medicine according to their needs. Pelvic exams aren't conducted, so patients are referred to a gynecologist who can provide care when a more serious condition is suspected.
According to the website of the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, adolescents often suffer from period pain, including that caused by strong uterine contractions. In addition, endometriosis, a condition that can lead to infertility, is apparently becoming more common among teenage girls and women in their 20s. A key to early detection is recognizing when menstrual pain gets worse over time.
A study in fiscal 2016 commissioned by the Japan Sports Agency conducted on female junior and senior high school students in Chiba Prefecture found that 71% of respondents experienced menstrual pain and 34% had premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Despite the situation, 43% answered they just "endure the pain," and 35% responded they "use medicine to push through it," while 15% said "studying or taking part in physical education was difficult." These figures show that not enough young people are being treated for their period pain.
Many elementary, middle and high school students also feel uncomfortable about visiting a gynecologist. In addition, birth control pills, which can be covered by health insurance and are effective for treating PMS, are often avoided because many still see them as just contraception.
According to doctors at Florence's mental health clinic, a middle schooler and her parents believed a pelvic exam is required for treatment by a gynecologist, and this misunderstanding made them reluctant to seek care.
Students have shared experiences showing that the struggles of menstruation are still not well understood at school. One elementary school student told doctors, "Most of my classmates have not started their periods, or have only mild flow, so even though I feel unwell, others don't understand what I'm going through." A high school student said, "Due to period pains, I want to sit and watch during marathons in gym class, but I'm told by the teacher to 'run slowly' and he won't let me sit out."
Kurihara emphasized that "the right to accurate information and access to proper medical care is not only for adults, but also for lower and middle school students who have started their periods." She added, "With the opening of this clinic I want to help change the common belief that menstruation is something you just have to put up with."
The pill clinic is open on Tuesday mornings, and on Wednesday mornings and afternoons. Children in junior high school or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more details or to make an appointment, visit the official website of Florence's child and mental health clinic (in Japanese).
(Japanese original by Sahomi Nishimoto, Tokyo City News Department)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
New Tokyo clinic helps elementary school girls, teens tackle period pain, symptoms
TOKYO -- A clinic helping patients as young as primary school girls who have just had their first period deal with pain and other symptoms has opened in the Japanese capital to address menstrual concerns early on, especially since many children hesitate to visit gynecologists. The "Pill clinic starting from elementary school students" opened within certified nonprofit organization Florence Inc.'s children's mental health clinic in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward in June. The facility also has a pediatric department and a clinic for truant children, as well as a psychosomatic medicine department for women. Shiho Kurihara, a family doctor who treats patients from young to old, examines patients at the new clinic. She offers consultation to those who are struggling with period pain, and provides a range of treatment options including painkillers, low-dose birth control pills and traditional Chinese herbal medicine according to their needs. Pelvic exams aren't conducted, so patients are referred to a gynecologist who can provide care when a more serious condition is suspected. According to the website of the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, adolescents often suffer from period pain, including that caused by strong uterine contractions. In addition, endometriosis, a condition that can lead to infertility, is apparently becoming more common among teenage girls and women in their 20s. A key to early detection is recognizing when menstrual pain gets worse over time. A study in fiscal 2016 commissioned by the Japan Sports Agency conducted on female junior and senior high school students in Chiba Prefecture found that 71% of respondents experienced menstrual pain and 34% had premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Despite the situation, 43% answered they just "endure the pain," and 35% responded they "use medicine to push through it," while 15% said "studying or taking part in physical education was difficult." These figures show that not enough young people are being treated for their period pain. Many elementary, middle and high school students also feel uncomfortable about visiting a gynecologist. In addition, birth control pills, which can be covered by health insurance and are effective for treating PMS, are often avoided because many still see them as just contraception. According to doctors at Florence's mental health clinic, a middle schooler and her parents believed a pelvic exam is required for treatment by a gynecologist, and this misunderstanding made them reluctant to seek care. Students have shared experiences showing that the struggles of menstruation are still not well understood at school. One elementary school student told doctors, "Most of my classmates have not started their periods, or have only mild flow, so even though I feel unwell, others don't understand what I'm going through." A high school student said, "Due to period pains, I want to sit and watch during marathons in gym class, but I'm told by the teacher to 'run slowly' and he won't let me sit out." Kurihara emphasized that "the right to accurate information and access to proper medical care is not only for adults, but also for lower and middle school students who have started their periods." She added, "With the opening of this clinic I want to help change the common belief that menstruation is something you just have to put up with." The pill clinic is open on Tuesday mornings, and on Wednesday mornings and afternoons. Children in junior high school or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more details or to make an appointment, visit the official website of Florence's child and mental health clinic (in Japanese). (Japanese original by Sahomi Nishimoto, Tokyo City News Department)
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- The Mainichi
News in Easy English: Bedbugs cause problems in Japan as summer comes
TOKYO -- In Japan, the number of bedbugs, a kind of insect, is growing. Bedbugs bite people and drink their blood. Their bites make people feel very itchy and uncomfortable. Bedbugs usually hide during the day. These small brown insects (about 5 to 8 millimeters long) like dark, warm places. They hide in beds, behind curtains, and even inside electrical outlets in walls. At night, bedbugs come out, bite people, and drink blood. Their bites cause a red rash and a lot of itchiness. Sleeping can become very difficult because of this. Japan once had fewer bedbugs. But since about 20 years ago, more people and goods have come to Japan from other countries. Sometimes, these bugs travel along, too. Bedbugs also have many eggs and can live up to a year. This makes it difficult to get rid of them completely. Hotels and homes have many more problems with bedbugs now. A pest-control company named Asante even uses special dogs to find bedbugs in hotel rooms. In 2024, the company checked about 3,900 rooms. This number is much higher than before. How can we stop bedbugs? When you travel and stay at a hotel, you should check the bed first. If you see little black stains near the bed, these could be bedbug droppings. Bedbugs do not like lights. Sleeping with lights on can help. Or, you can pretend you are asleep. After about 15 minutes, bedbugs might come out. If you see them, tell the hotel right away. Also, put your bags and clothes in the hotel's bathroom. Bedbugs cannot hold onto surfaces like bathroom tiles, so your things will stay safer. When you come back home from traveling, leave your suitcase near the entrance of your home. Wash clothes from your suitcase at a laundromat, using high heat. High heat helps kill bedbugs. If you find bedbugs at home, you can catch them with sticky tape and ask an expert to help. Or use glue traps in your room to catch them. (Japanese original by Richi Tanaka, Digital News Group) Vocabulary bedbug: a small insect that drinks blood from people and animals rash: an area of red, itchy skin when you have problems like insect bites pretend: to act something, but not really do it laundromat: a place to wash clothes using washing machines and dryers itchy: when your skin feels uncomfortable and you want to scratch it
Asahi Shimbun
3 days ago
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Consider a slice of rainy season ‘myoga' as some food for thought
In the damp, heavy air of the rainy season, I try to revive both body and spirit with meals generously garnished with aromatic condiments: 'oba,' the broad leaf of green perilla; 'negi,' slender green onions; and fresh ginger. Among them, 'myoga' (Japanese ginger) stands out for its crisp texture and refreshing aroma. Soon, at the base of its slender stalks, its plump buds will begin to emerge. 'Slicing myoga/ Futures I cast off/ What and what?' While reading the complete haiku collection of Shuson Kato (1905-1993), who would have turned 120 this May, I came across this enigmatic poem. A leading figure of the 'Ningen Tankyu-ha' (school of human inquiry)—a group of haiku poets who sought to probe the inner depths of human existence—Kato left behind many verses that resist easy interpretation and invite multiple readings. Yet, it is precisely this ambiguity that opens the door to the quiet joy of free and personal reflection. The poem brought to mind the old saying, 'Eating too much myoga makes you forgetful.' Perhaps the poet was reflecting on things he wished to forget as he chopped the myoga. Yet, since the poem speaks not of the past but of the future, it may not be about forgetting at all—but rather about letting go. There is no trace of resignation in the verse; instead, it carries a subtle, almost playful sense of humor. According to 'Yasai Monogatari' ("The tale of vegetables") by Kanji Namikawa, the belief that myoga causes forgetfulness has no scientific basis. In fact, the notion is said to originate from an old Indian legend: one of the Buddha's disciples was so forgetful that he couldn't even remember his own name and had to wear a name tag around his neck. A plant that later sprouted from his grave was named myoga. As it grows, myoga takes on three distinct seasonal identities, each captured in a different 'kigo,' or seasonal word used in haiku. In spring, the tender young shoots known as 'myoga-dake' are prized as a delicacy. In summer, the buds—'myoga no ko' (literally "myoga children")—are harvested and used as a fragrant garnish. And in autumn, when the buds bloom into 'myoga no hana,' or myoga flowers, they mark the turning of the season once more. This quiet progression seems to reflect Shuson's own life. Until his death at the age of 88, he continued to evolve his poetic style, eventually reaching a creative realm entirely his own. His final haiku reads: 'The green things/ Things so far away/ Growing ever more distant' It was written in the season of the rains. —The Asahi Shimbun, June 11 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
