Menstruation: you got a problem?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I have a serious peeve about guys who are squeamish about menstruation.

I have some stories to share on the topic, some relevant, some barely on topic:

When I first began menstruating, and the first time my cycle coincided with my mother’s, my mother and I made what we called “period prints” together. We would squat, pantless, over a piece of fresh white paper, and sit, leaving a bloody print featuring the impression of folds of skin and curls of hair. Sigh, a tender mother-daughter bondng experience.

Still here?

My mother gave me my print, in a frame, a couple of years ago. (Now, I’m not as odd as you may think. I don’t keep it on my wall. I laughed when I unwrapped it, and it lives in a box somewhere. We’re not uterine-fluid worshippers, just women with a healthy regard for a natural process.)

Next story:
At a bar recently, among friends and brief acquaintances, I pulled my wallet out of my purse and didn’t notice that a tampon had flown out with it and landed on the floor, but a guy I vaguely knew did. He discreetly whispered to me that I had “dropped something.”
I turned to look, and, seeing what it was, and finding his embarassed discretion amusing, exclaimed loudly: “OH MY GOODNESS! I DROPPED A TAMPON!”

Next story:
During a recent sexual encounter, after having told the gentleman that I was menstruating, I was amused to be told emphatically that I could not be “on top.” It seems the lad was concerned that I would flood his loins if I had gravity to help me. Notwithstanding the helpful barrier which the diaphragm provides (works both ways, god love the little thing!).
(And this is a man eager to try anal sex. Hmmm. My ass, but not my menstrual fluid…)

Now, it may be that the first 2 stories distinguish me somewhat from others of my sex, but I just have no patience for a boy’s squeamishness on this matter.

Anyone else?

2

i am not the least bit squeamish, but i find the thought of framed period prints very disturbing.

3

I’m with Kilgore. I have no problem with menstruation (why be squeamish about simple biology?) or the absorbent products related to it, but fer chrissake, don’t keep a scrapbook about it.

4

Period prints. Please don’t be offended, but… ugh.

Did anyone else have Dave Foley’s menstruation monologue running through their head?

Uh, anyway.

I myself cannot blame guys for being a tad grossed out when it comes to menstruation. Unless you’ve experienced it yourself, the process of voiding any bodily secretion sounds disgusting. And it’s blood, for cripes sake! How ungross is that?

Give 'em a break. If fact, why not enlighten them a bit? I’m not saying you should launch into a lecture on the subject. At least be a little more understanding. The best thing you can do is answer their questions with patience and honesty. Maybe afterwards, they won’t be so darn squeamish.

5

I have to agree, the period prints are a bit much for me.

I’ve been blessed with a husband who was the youngest of seven children, and his three next-oldest siblings were siters, so he is very comfortable with women and women’s issues. He’s bought tampons for me with no problem.

Not so my friend “Julie,” who on her first grocery shopping trip with her then-boyfriend, now-husband, tossed a box of tampons into the cart. He was horrified – “Don’t put those in with the food!” Uh, buddy, they’re not used, fercryinoutloud – they’re bleached cotton. Cripes!

Then of course there were the two guys my friend Cathy and I were talking to in a bar, who thought that the super size gave women “extra pleasure.” Ooh yeah baby, I like to jam three or four of those suckers in there and ride away. Idiots!

6

I don’t go around asking guys at random if they’re grossed out by a women’s period, but I do know that the men in my family aren’t. It’s natural. In fact, as my mom was at work when I got my period for the first time, my father is the one who helped me through it. He went to the store and bought the proper products and told me about menstruation because I was a bit “early” and hadn’t reached sex ed. in school yet.

::hoping on the bandwagon::

Period prints? I believe that my mother and I have yet to “bond” then.

7

I’m fine with most of it, but prints? EWWWWWW! <insert the FFF’s barfing smiley here>

8

I don’t think I’m squeamish about menstration, but the image of Mom and Daughter making prints is a bit over the edge for me. (God help us, please don’t let a television advertising executive get a hold of this concept.)

Men can be shameless wimps on the issue however, (no jokes!) and they should be slapped up side the head because of it. It is such a huge part of what makes a woman a woman is should be cherished.

I had a friend whose father (former Marine sargeant) took her out for a very elegant dinner (just them-mom was at home) when she started. She said it was one of the most beautiful things that ever happened to her. I wish I had a daughter to pass the tradition onto.

9

“Mom, do you ever get that … not-so-fresh feeling?”

“Um…I know! Let’s squat on some paper!!”

New! Period print paper from the people at Tampax and Xerox. On sale now.

10

how is this squeamish? i would say it’s being considerate.

11

Hmmm. Well, I’m not too grossed out about the idea of a period. Not becuase it’s “biological and natural and blah blah blah,” but just because blood doesn’t really creep me out too much. Neither do vaginas. Or tampons. Or any of that.

But I gotta say the whole idea of a daughter & mother squatting onto a piece of paper & making Period Prints…

Ewww.

12

Well, the prints are a bit over the top, even for me. But if you two bonded, I suppose that’s not a bad thing.

My husband is good about buying me pads & tampons. He operates under the assumption that whatever clerk is ringing up the sale is bright enough to know that they’re not for him.

When I had my first period, my mom called my dad and let him know, unbeknownst to me. He brought home a rose and a gold necklace with a little teddy bear on it for me, and gave them to me at dinner. It was a little embarassing (because my still-clueless younger brother was asking questions), but it was really nice. I still have the necklace somewhere.

BWAAAAHAHAHA!!!

:::wiping tears of laughter from eyes:::

Oh man, that’s one of the funniest things I’ve read in a loooong time, Scarlett!

13

[rant]
Okay, that period print thing is GROSS! What kind of mental gymnastics led to this?

“Hey Mom, I’m getting my period!”

“Cool! Let’s squat on some paper, make a print and then frame it!”

Ugh. I never could understand how people could say things like menstruation and childbirth were “beautiful.” Sure they’re natural; so what? That doesn’t make them “beautiful.” It’s “natural” for vultures to eat a dead carcass too-is that “beautiful”?
[/rant]

But I don’t really want to piss off every female Doper out there. Menstruation may not be beautiful to me, but it only grosses me out if it’s my mother or sister going through it. If I had an SO her period wouldn’t bother me one bit, and I would certainly let her be on top if she wanted to be, blood or no blood. I would buy tampons with reckless abandon if she needed them.
In fact, I once dated a girl who got severe menstrual cramps. When she told me about it it actually made me feel closer to her-she seemed so …feminine all of a sudden. (Does anyone know what I mean by that?) When she was hurting I would do what I could to make her feel better, and I usually succeeded. :slight_smile:
I’m not sure if I’d want to see the little red squeegee in the toilet though. Even I have my limits.

14

Aviddiva, may I recommend a book for you? Check out Cunt by Inga Musico. I think you’d really like it.

With a book for every occasion,

Kyla

15

aviddiva After all the "ewww"s and "ick"s, I have to say that I, for one, am mightily impressed. Now, menstrual prints aren’t something that would ever occur to me on my own, and still not something I am likely to do. (It took reading an article on the subject to realize that my habit of keeping tampons and such hidden under the sink was just silly. I now keep them withing easy reach when I need them. Yes, I have a ways to go.) But I am inspired by stories of women who have allowed themselves to be completely comfortable with their cycles and are teaching their daughters the same.

Ugh. I never could understand how people could say things like menstruation and childbirth were "beautiful."

I was privileged to attend a friend’s birth a while ago. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.

16

Add me to the “the period prints are seriously gross” list. Blech. Ick. Fehhh. I’m thinking it might fall in the TMI category.

That aside, I too am a bit annoyed by men who find menstruation, or anything related to it, upsetting. There was a guy I dated in college who would say any variety of thing to get a rise out of me; usually something suggesting male superiority or whatnot, or just trying to be perverse. All I had to do was bring up any facet of menstruation, and his face would scrunch up, and the whining would begin: “Oh, why did you have to bring that up?” He couldn’t even handle talk of buying tampons or whatever. This, from a wanna-be-macho jock. Wuss.

17

I had to read that “period print” thing twice to make sure I was reading it correctly.

Every time I get my period I beg the doctors I work with to spay me.

I don’t know if men are squeamish about my period. I can never date one long enough to find out.

18

well, when I was first able to ejaculate, me and my dad got together and made these cute little papier mache figurines of us playing catch. sigh…
seriously, though, I am not in the least bit disgusted. In fact, I’d say that it’s rather touching. Although I’m glad I don’t menstruate, if I did, I wouldn’t mind having a memento of the early days.

and Lizard, again in all honesty, I would say that in fact there is a certain beauty in a vulture feasting on a carcass. And even more in childbirth and the like.

jb

p.s.- Bobbin’ Buzzard, Caw Caaw Caaw

19

Period prints? Hmmmm… interesting.

Most of the men I know are comfortable knowing about menstration and such. I remember one time when I was out at the bar and my period started. I didn’t have anything on me but a friend of mine had tampons in her car so I went out with one of my guy friends to get one. I got the tampon out of the car and put it in right there in the parking lot. (I was wearing a dress/skort at the time and no panties so it was easy to do without being too obvious) My friend just busted out laughing and couldn’t believe I put it in right there in the parking lot. He still laughs about it to this day.

20

Aviddiva, a thought perhaps on the guy who whispered “you dropped something”

There are women who aren’t as enlightend as you. They often tend to be embarrassed at any public mention of the subject. Since this guy only “vaguely” knew you, he would have had no idea that you weren’t embarassed. It may have been his attempt at being kind.