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menstruation

via Benz Trap House/TikTok

Men try a period simulator and hilarity ensues.

They say the best way to understand another person is to walk a mile in their shoes. If you ask most women, though, they'll tell you to forget about the shoes. They've got much bigger problems they wish men could understand.

Imagine how different the world would be if cis-gendered men had the ability to give birth, for example? Would the state of Texas still have a near-blanket ban on abortions or would they be available on-demand? Would we live in a country without mandatory paid maternity leave? How much more affordable would childcare be? Would there be a tax on period products? How would we treat people experiencing period pain?

A few brave men decided to see what life was like for people who have periods in a funny but enlightening video that's gone viral on TikTok.


period pain, men have periods, period simulator, women, men, abortion, womens health, reproductive rights, feminism People who menstruate are often used to being forced to push through the discomfort. Giphy

In a video posted by Benz Trap House that has over 1.4 million views, a group of guys tried a period simulator to experience what menstrual cramps really feel like. Period simulators are essentially the same as labor simulators. They're called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machines that are designed to relieve pain. But when turned up a notch can create intense, debilitating discomfort.

The group took a semi-scientific approach to the experiment with a woman acting as a control subject. At the beginning of the video, she attaches the simulator to an area near her ovaries and turns it up to ten, the highest setting. In the clip, the group looks impressed as she endures the extreme setting without showing any discomfort.

The men would not do as well.

@benztraphouse

The boys tried a period simulator #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #funny #periodcramps #periodsimulator #viral

When the first guy attempted to wear the period simulator he was shocked by the discomfort. "Is it supposed to hurt like that?" the second guy says before erupting in nervous laughter.

The third guy said that he felt the pain all the way down to his knee caps.

The men's description of the pain certainly seems to indicate that the simulator machine is pretty accurate. According to Mayo Clinic, menstrual cramps are a "throbbing or cramping pain" that radiates to the lower back and thighs. The pain itself, during actual menstruation not simulated by electrical charges, is caused by repeated contractions of the uterus as it sheds its lining. The cramps can be much worse for women and menstruating people with certain conditions. In fact, they can be debilitating and excruciating. But most of the time? Women are expected to just soldier on as if nothing's happening. In many male-dominated spaces, pain or other difficulties associated with periods is not considered a valid excuse for needing a day off, taking a break, or even going to the bathroom!

At one point in the video, the period simulator is attached to a woman and a man at the same time. When the device is turned on, the guy is in extreme pain while the woman stands still, claiming the feelings created by the machine are "not even as bad as a cramp."

"Yeah, my cramps hurt worse than this," she added. See, this is exactly what they mean when they say women have a higher pain tolerance than men. Scientifically, that claim may be dubious, but when it comes to this specific kind of reproductive discomfort, women are far more used to sucking it up.

A lot of people who menstruate felt validated after seeing the guys experience their first period.

"'You feel that in your back, boi?' every month, friend," a commenter named Crystal said.

period pain, men have periods, period simulator, women, men, abortion, womens health, reproductive rights, feminism Menstrual cramps can radiate through the lower back and even legs. Giphy

One of the most popular comments was from Candyce, who said: "I'm convinced if men could get pregnant they'd have abortion clinics on every corner and paid maternity leave the whole pregnancy."

Another commenter, S DeMarco, pointed out that women have to go through an entire day in pain without a break.

"When he said 'it's stabbing me what do I do?' You go to work, clean the house and continue on bb," she wrote.

"Please this needs to be added to every high school health class ... cause some guys really don’t understand the pain" another user added.

Shellz took reality up a notch. "Let's add headaches. And period poops. And bloating. And the feeling of blood leaving you. And the nausea," she wrote.

If only there were a machine that could simulate all that!

period pain, men have periods, period simulator, women, men, abortion, womens health, reproductive rights, feminism If more men appreciated period pain, how might the world be different? Photo by Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition on Unsplash


It's cool that the lighthearted video has gone viral because it'll give some people newfound respect for the pain that people who have periods go through. Some who watched the video thought that period simulators should be mandatory in sex ed classes.

Imagine how different the world would be if everyone experienced menstrual pain just once in their life.

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.

A single dad reaching out for help got a huge amount of support.

Even in this amazing girl-dad era, certain aspects of girlhood can still be quite challenging for fathers to know how to best show up for their daughters. And certainly, first periods are one of them.

This can be especially true for single dads. Even the guy who grew up with sisters likely wouldn’t know the ins and outs of different menstrual products available today, and that’s not even getting into the emotional roller coaster often involved.

One single dad hoped to find answers on Reddit after his soon-to-be 13-year-old daughter had her first cycle. And thankfully, he got what he needed—and then some.


“I'm a single dad and my daughter (soon to be 13) has just started her first period. Luckily, she was at a friend's house and managed to get hold of a few pads but we don't really have anything at home,” the dad explained.

He continued, “What do I need to be doing? Pads, tampons or cups? Different things for different situations? Should I just buy different products in different levels of absorbency and let her figure out what's comfortable? Should I have a specific pain relief on hand or just hot water bottles?”



First off, kudos to this dad for already being thorough. Asking about product specifics? Thinking about pain relief? A+

And people were equally thorough in their answers. One person suggested dedicating a section of the bathroom to a discrete “period care stash” which would include:

  • Pads (medium + heavy OR medium + night-time).
  • Baby wipes (fragrance free. NOT makeup wipes).
  • Ibuprofen or similar
  • Hot water bottle
  • Bonus items:
    • Favorite chocolate
    • New pack of basic underwear

period products for teensEnough can't be said about having a discreet period stash. Photo credit: Canva

They also suggested getting a fabric drawstring bag so that some of these items could go into the girl’s school bag, as well as incorporating a cycle tracking app like Clue or using some other kind of “top-up system” to know when these items would need replenishing.

“This will probably depend a lot on how independent she is and whether the topic feels awkward to her (which is natural even though there's nothing to be embarrassed about). She might want you to just pick up a new packet of pads as part of your grocery shop once a month. She might want you to leave the shopping list where she can see it so she can just write on it what she wants. She might prefer you give her a little extra money so she can pick up products for herself. Use your best judgment or ask her,” they said.

This person did add the disclaimer that “no matter how regular her cycles may be they still take us by surprise sometimes.” So it’s a good idea to have good laundry detergent on hand and that she also knows how to do her own laundry if she needed.

This person made it very clear to the dad to be mindful to not instill any shame around menstruation, and to have “a bit of grace if she's a bit snappy, or if she's more lethargic or spending longer in the bathroom. She won't want you to draw her attention to this.”

Other honorable mentions include getting period underwear like Thinx and Knix, rinsing and stained items in cold water before washing, asking a female she’s comfortable with to teach her about tampons, having a basic understanding of PMDD, endometriosis, PCOS etc., and to make sure the bathroom trash can has a lid, especially if the house has dogs.

But beyond helpful advice, this dad got a lot of positive encouragement.

“You are a really cool dad to be so calm and collected, and caring. You are a hero,” one person wrote.

“You are pure gold, coming from a single father of an eleven year old daughter. Thank you” wrote another.

This chapter might not be quite as simple to navigate as previous ones, but simply having the intention to be well informed is already putting this dad on the path towards success. Kudos to him, and all the other dads who strive to support their daughters every step of the way.

Health

Does your period pain feel ‘as bad as a heart attack’? You’re not imagining it

Some women experience debilitating period cramps, but the medical community isn't helping.

You’re not alone.

Here's an article to send to every jerk in your life who denied you the right to complain about your period cramps: A medical expert says that some women experience menstruation pains that are "almost as bad as having a heart attack." John Guillebaud, who is a professor of reproductive health at University College London, spoke to Quartz on the subject, and said that the medical community has long ignored what can be a debilitating affliction, because it's a problem that mostly inconveniences women.

"I think it happens with both genders of doctor," Guillebaud told Quartz. "On the one hand, men don't suffer the pain and underestimate how much it is or can be in some women. But I think some women doctors can be a bit unsympathetic because either they don't get it themselves or if they do get it they think, 'Well I can live with it, so can my patient.'"



And it's a problem that can't just be treated with common painkillers. Some people who experience dysmenorrhea, the medical term for painful menstruation, also suffer from endometriosis, a condition that can cause infertility if it's not treated properly. But research on the subject is scant, so doctors often misdiagnose it, or dismiss the pain entirely. It's estimated, however, that one out of 10 women has the condition.

Earlier this month, Girls creator Lena Dunham was forced to take a rest from show promotion and other work duties because she suffers from endometriosis. In a recent edition of her newsletter, Lenny Letter, Dunham wrote a frank essay about her struggle with the condition, and particularly with a medical institution that didn't know how to diagnose her. She didn't know how to put a name to her pain until she turned 24 and underwent laparoscopic surgery, "which is the only way to definitively diagnose endometriosis," according to Dunham.

Quartz reporter Olivia Goldhill had the same problem. She suffered from frequent period pains that were as distressing as a slipped disk, she says. But doctors had no answer for her. "Before I had my MRI scans, I told my primary care doctor that the pain seemed to be triggered by my period," she said. "He didn't think this was relevant and ignored the comment."

For now, the medical community has been dragging its feet to do research on the subject. Goldhill says the only thing people can do right now is talk about it, to heighten awareness. "Tell your doctor, your friends, your colleagues," she wrote. "We need to talk about period pain long and loudly enough for doctors to finally do something about it."

This article originally appeared on 09.14.17

Health

If all men had periods, here's what the ads might look like

Steven Tyler once wondered, 'If men bled, would tampons be free?' He was onto something.

Image created from photo via Pixabay.

A fictional ad depicting a man's feminine hygiene product.

Can you imagine how the world would act if it was mostly men and not women who got their periods once a month?

Yeah, imagine it. If every guy of reproductive age out there had a monthly visit from Aunt Flo (or Uncle Flo, as the case may be), how would it change the way we as a society think of menstruation?

The answer: probably a whole lot.


But most importantly, that weird, uncomfortable, and awkward feeling people get when someone mentions periods wouldn't even be a thing in the first place.

A campaign from WaterAid asked 2,000 people how they thought the world would differ if all men had periods. The answers are telling.

One-third of respondents said they believed guys would openly brag about their periods and congratulate each other over them.

Can you imagine?

How many Likes would that get for hypothetical A.C. Slater? Maybe many.

8 out of 10 respondents thought if men had periods, there would be fewer myths and taboos about them.

It's interesting to think how the stigma would practically be the opposite if most guys experienced a menstrual cycle once a month. Getting your period would turn into a proud and visible monthly moment. There would be nothing shameful about having a period, and in fact, having a period might even become the ultimate sign of "manliness."

Would tampons be taxed as luxury items like they are today? Probably not. Our majority-male lawmakers would understand just how necessary they are. Would men walk around hiding tampons, er, manpons, up their sleeves on their way to the bathroom? Probably not. A third of survey respondents believe tampons would be advertised as "boosting your performance" — sounds like something you wouldn't want to hide.

If men getting a monthly period was considered totally normal, talk of menstruation would be much more in the open, and resources like pads and tampons would be more easily accessed. As Aerosmith's Steven Tyler once said he often asked himself, "If men bled, would tampons be free?"

It all might seem far-fetched, but it brings up a much larger issue.

There are currently 1.25 billion women and girls who don't have access to a toilet during their periods.

The survey responses that include celebrating and bragging rights for men are really quite the opposite reality for women and girls in 2022. Many don't even have access to sanitary supplies, let alone a toilet.

From forcing girls to drop out of school to Donald Trump using a period reference to discredit a GOP presidential debate moderator, the stigma on periods is still all over the place. And it's doing the world no favors.

"One in three women around the world do not have access to a toilet during their periods and having to find a safe place after dark is both undignified and risky," says Barbara Frost, WaterAid’s chief executive officer, in a press release.

"Millions more suffer discrimination because of beliefs that they are 'contaminated' or 'impure'. Stigma about menstruation means women do not seek the help and information they need, while the lack of hygiene facilities in schools is a major reason for young girls dropping out of education when they reach puberty."

That's real, and that sucks.

Using the responses from the survey, WaterAid created short parody ads that envision how the world would would be different #IfMenHadPeriods.

"Every day 800 million women have their period, and yet most of us consider it an embarrassing and taboo subject," says Frost. "There are even elaborate euphemisms to avoid saying the word period. So we have had a bit of fun trying to imagine whether attitudes would be different if men had periods."

Watch WaterAid's parody ad for tampons being sold in a world where men have periods:

You can also watch WaterAid's take on a football match and a male conversation at work. They're great.