Diagnosis and Treatment of Dysmenorrhea in Modern China

Description

In the 20th century in China, accompanied by calls for female emancipation and the development of mass media, menstruation, which once was seen as taboo in traditional Chinese culture, began to be discussed in public. Dysmenorrhea, one of the most common menstrual symptoms, has also attracted attention. There is an unprecedentedly rich and complex discourse on the principles, diagnosis and treatment of dysmenorrhea. This study will explore the diagnosis and treatment of dysmenorrhea in modern China through discussions of dysmenorrhea in professional gynaecology books in traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese and Western medical journals and newspapers. The results show that: (1) In explaining and treating dysmenorrhea, traditional Chinese medicine has generally adopted the conception of the “uterus” as an organ and used it to redefine the principles of dysmenorrhea in Chinese medicine. (2) Western medicine focuses on pain relief while Chinese medicine focuses on healing dysmenorrhea. (3) Dysmenorrhea is seen more as a pathology than a physiological phenomenon, and the possibility of endangering fertility is taken very seriously by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Through these discussions, the change in perception of the female body, the care of women's illnesses and the collision of different medical theories can be seen.

Period	5 May 2023
Event title	12th Spring History Symposium
Event type	Conference
Location	Hong KongShow on map