As a former clerk, I can say exaaaactly. And even if we did care, which we don’t, it’s not like that would have any effect on your life. We don’t know you, what are we going to do, make a webpage at www.thisguyboughttamponshaha.net and describe you?
I don’t even remember seeing a guy buy tampons, but I’m sure it’s happened, and just didn’t register on my “things to pay particular attention to” scale.
But of course, from the responses here already, it seems I’m preaching to the converted.
My boyfriend would definitely pick up tampons if I asked him to, but so far there hasn’t been a need for me to ask.
Absolutely no problem. I know what my wife uses, and what do I care about buying them? What possible invidious conclusion could someone draw if they see me buying them?
Now, that said, there was one moment when I was a bit flustered - years before i was married, a friend of mine, a doctor, came to a conference in DC, and I invited him to bring his family and stay with me – I had plenty of room. He, his wife, and four daughters all arrived and settled in for a week. While doc was out conferencing and his wife and two of the daughters were shopping, the second-oldest, who must have been 13-14 at the time, came up to me and asked me to go to the store for her when I had a moment and pick up pads, and she specifically and without a hint of embarrassment gave me the exact brand and variety she needed.
I wasn’t flustered at the prospect of buying pads; discussing the specifics with a 13 year old was a bit out of my previous experience. Something about being a doctor’s daughter, I guess, to get over any embarrassment in that arena!
I don’t remember whether I’ve ever asked SpouseO to pick me up a pack or not. I’m sure he’s probably been with me when I’ve picked some up though. I generally try to take care of it myself, but I doubt he’d have any issues at all.
I do have to say, while my husband will make me hot water bottles, rub my belly, run me a nice bath and buy me painkillers, and as i mentioned up-thread, buy me “supplies”, he will NOT empty the rubbish bin in the bathroom. He’s squeamish, and that’s fine.
I have to say that the one thing I always notice in houses lived in exclusively by men is the lack of a rubbish bin in the bathroom- guys, if you want to do your future girlfriends and any female visitors a favour, buy a bin for beside your toilet. The ladies in your life will thank you for it.
Never a problem with me. It isn’t like there are sanitary product transvestites out there that I’ll get mistaken for. Or if there are, I don’t want to know about it.
No problem whatsoever. One time, I had to do a lot of searching for my lady’s chosen model (Playtex Gentle Glide Regular Unscented), and there were all these women stopping by and saying how great it was of me to buy them. I was like, “Meh, no biggie. Do you see the ‘unscented’ anywhere?”
Women are apparently mightily impressed when they see a man buying hooha plugs, especially if it takes extra effort to search for the right ones.
I would. But my wife has never given me reason to go in and get the stuff. I’ve offered many, many times, but I think that she doesn’t want me to be embarrassed. I wouldn’t mind buying tampons.
It’s a far cry from the days when I was sent down to the drug store with a note sealed in an envelope, and I would return with a paper bag, stapled generously at the top so I couldn’t possibly see what was inside. I would hand the bag to my mother, and that would be the end of it.
Heard a comedian once, I forget who, who said he was PROUD to buy feminine hygeine products. “Hey! Look at me! I’ve got somebody at home who uses these things!”
Male here. Married 10 years. Two Kids. Absolutely not an issue. In fact I’ve often had to stop on the way home from work for JUST pads.
Th eonly problem I have is THEY KEEP CHANGING THE PACKAGING!
I’m sure they think it’s great marketing to keep modifying the looks of these things so they can attract new customers or something, but it’s completely confusing to the male population. “Hmmmm, let’s see. I think it was the ultra thin, unscented, with wings, overnight, upside down, panty grabbing, lint free, extra absorbent, inside out, Kotex brand with 12 per package???”
If men had to wear these they’d come in brown paper packages and you could get 12 months worth at Home Depot for 15 bucks.
Male here. Married 10 years. Two Kids. Absolutely not an issue. In fact I’ve often had to stop on the way home from work for JUST pads.
The only problem I have is THEY KEEP CHANGING THE PACKAGING!
I’m sure they think it’s great marketing to keep modifying the looks of these things so they can attract new customers or something, but it’s completely confusing to the male population. “Hmmmm, let’s see. I think it was the ultra thin, unscented, with wings, overnight, upside down, panty grabbing, lint free, extra absorbent, inside out, Kotex brand with 12 per package???”
If men had to wear these they’d come in brown paper packages and you could get 12 months worth at Home Depot for 15 bucks.
I don’t have periods, because I’m on Depo. (Praise its holy name!) But Back In the Day, Hubby was completely comfortable with buying tampons for me. He says he’s had some male friends who were too embarassed to do so, and he’s never understood it.
As he says, “The clerk will know I’m not buying them for *my *use. In a way, guys ought to be proud, because it tells all who see them on the conveyor belt, ‘I have a woman!’”
Guy. No problem. But if you ask me to I might give you a funny look and wonder, possibly even ask, how you let yourself run out of supplies?
It used to make me uncomfortable though to the point of not doing it. Still feel a little odd browsing the 300 various solutions for the same problem. But yeah…be specific.
Gay male here, so no SO to buy them for. (and if he does ask me, we’ll have to have a long talk, likely involving a therapist.) But, I used to buy them for my mom. She got pregnant just before I turned 17 and it was very rough on her. So even after the baby I took care of most household stuff, including the shopping. Was never a big deal to me, just something else to cross off the list.
If I have any feelings at all about it, I guess they’re probably closer to this than to embarassment.
I still feel a little embarrassed buying bog-rolls, although I know it makes no sense whatsoever – like it invites the cashier to visualize you with your pants around your ankles, or something.
But tampons/pads? Total non-issue.
Whenever I pick them up I’m reminded of a book/story (maybe a movie?) my leaky memory has it filed under “Stephen King,” anyway. In it, a guy has been asked by his wife to pick up some necessaries, and he’s all twisted up about it. He goes to a couple drugstores but can’t work up the nerve, spends some time drinking in between, and gets angrier and angrier about the perceived humiliation she’s putting him through. Then he goes home and brutally murders her.
Because you stock up on the box with 200 in it one time and so every time you’re thinking “Oh, I have plenty” but eventually you do run out and when you open your cupboard there’s none left and you’re like :eek:.
Or, the same way you run out of everything else. And if SO is going to the grocery store anyway and I am too sick/whatever to go, why can’t he pick them up? :dubious:
