When it comes to mentioning menstruation discomfort at work or school, there is still a taboo for women. According to a recent study, period pain and other menstruation symptoms cost a "significant" amount of missed productivity at work and school for women, yet most still disguise the true reason why they're calling in sick, the study found. The study, which was conducted by the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing, showed that women between the ages of 15 and 44 who suffer from severe menstrual cramping or bleeding that prevents them from working have the potential to lose up to five days per month due to illness. This amounts to about 10 percent of their monthly salary or $120 annually. "We know that women experience more frequent migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia than men do, but this is the first time that we've seen evidence that women are also dealing with higher levels of pain during their periods," said UCSF School of Nursing Professor Karen Reiss. Women's health issues such as endometriosis, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer are often blamed on being "menopausal" before their time, but these diseases are also highly correlated to severe period pain that can't be ignored. In fact, research has shown that women who have more severe periods are at a greater risk for developing certain cancers later in life.