A woman claims she was removed from her Emirates Airline flight after complaining about mild period pain, reports Bustle.
According to a report from The Sun, Beth Evans, 24, and her boyfriend Joshua Moran, 26, had boarded a flight in Birmingham, UK on Saturday and were on their way to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. A few minutes before they were scheduled to take off, Evans mentioned to Moran that she was experiencing some mild cramps because of her period. Both she and Moran claim they were forced to get off the plane before takeoff.
In a statement to the Sun, Emirates said that the captain “made the decision to request medical support and offload Ms. Evans so she could access medical assistance” in case going the entire flight without medical care would be “endangering” her condition.
There is also a dispute between the story Evans and Moran told and the statement released by the airline in regards to how Emirates became aware of Evans’ cramps. Evans says she was talking to Moran about stomach pains that came with her period and a flight attendant overheard her doing so. Emirates has said to a number of news outlets, including the Washington Post, that “the passenger alerted crew that she was suffering from discomfort and pain and mentioned she was feeling unwell.” Even though, when asked by the airline staff, Evans said she rated her pain as a “one out of 10,” she and Moran were still removed from the flight.
Moran claims the airline didn’t actually have anyone look Evans over, but instead asked her a few questions and “contacted a medical team in the U.S.” who “said Beth couldn’t fly.” The couple allegedly had to completely rebook their tickets, which cost them an additional $350 each.
No matter which side ends up having the greater amount of truth in their story, this incident is a clear reminder that menstrual stigma is still very, very real. As an airline, or any company that takes a great deal of responsibility for consumers’ safety, making sure to cover your bases with a potentially unwell customer is understandable. However, listening to your customers is even more important. People with periods know when their own pain is irregular or indicative of something other than their usual pain.
What happened to Evans is also a reminder that women are often taken less seriously when it comes to their pain. Far too often, women are told they are “exaggerating” their pain or that it’s “all in their head” due to stress or some other outside factor. Evans’ incident shows that not only are women taken far less seriously than men when it comes to their own pain, but they are also apparently not trusted to know when their pain does or does not require medical attention. That needs to change.
Trust women about their pain and listen to them. Period.