Period pain forced her to miss school, events and work, but it was only when Zoe Simmons broke her wrist that she realised what pain she'd endured for 10 years wasn't normal.

The pain medication she was given as a one-off for the broken bone gave her far more relief for the consistent abdomen pain than her wrist.

Despite struggling for years, Simmons hadn't realised she needed help in that area – she believed what she was experiencing month-to-month was simply what everyone else went through.

Because that's what she'd always been led to believe.

READ MORE: 'Women are forced to suffer in silence and just get on with it' – Should period leave be instated?

Simmons, now 27, said she felt stigma right back to when she first got her period in school at 12, when she was told at sick bay to "get over it" and that pain was a normal part of life.

The Melbourne woman only started investigating with doctors after the broken wrist at age 22, making her one of many Australians who said their period was impacting their day-to-day life. 

A massive 40 per cent of menstruating Australians said their period affected their ability to work, and 30 per cent said it impacted their ability to participate socially, a recent survey found.

Simmons said her period pain is incapacitating and occurs throughout the month. 

"Pain really just changes your life," she told 9news.com.au. 

"Your 20s are supposed to be the best years of life but my life has just been turned upside down."

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