How much do men know about periods?

Let’s start by gauging your knowledge about periods. On a scale of one to ten, how much do you know?

- **Responses:**

- "Probably about a two."

- "Biologically, quite a bit. I know they happen every month."

- "To answer your question, five."

- "Probably about three."

- "Four."

- "Four? Six maybe."

### Discovering What You Know

**Cool, let’s explore!**

**Identifying Items:**

- **First up:** Can you identify some common menstrual products?

- “This is a sanitary towel.”

- “Is it? Pad?”

- “Tampon.”

- “No, I can't... you don't know what that is?”

- “Pad? And it looks like something the doctor checks your ears with.”

- “A sanitary towel. That's a tampon.”

- “I used to play with these when I was younger. My mum would say, ‘Stop! That costs money!’”

- “Is that a Mooncup?”

- “Don’t even want to touch that.”

- “Is this a Shewee? You know, for festivals.”

**Learning About Menstrual Cups:**

- “I know what they look like. I couldn’t tell you how it works.”

- “So this goes inside the vagina?”

- “Yes, it creates a valve and collects blood. When it's full, you just pull it out, wash it, and stick it back in.”

**Understanding Tampons:**

- “Is this the first time you’ve touched a tampon?”

- “No, but I've not seen anything like this.”

- “How do you think we use them?”

- “You put it up somehow. It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

### The Mechanics of Insertion

**Instructions for Insertion:**

- “You get into a comfortable position. Most women either sit on the toilet, squat slightly, or stand with one foot on the toilet seat.”

- “Sorry, that’s just quite funny. Who needs yoga class?”

- “So, what happens next? That goes up?”

- “Show me how.”

**Inserting the Tampon:**

- “You insert it like that? Oh effing hell.”

- “So that goes into the vagina?”

- “Using fingers or maybe some… I don’t know.”

- “You pull that back, and then this dangles out?”

- “It’s literally left dangling?”

### Understanding Usage

**How Often to Change:**

- “How often do you think you have to change it?”

- “Three or four times a day?”

- “Actually, you need to change them every four to six hours.”

- “Well, I would be disgusting, wouldn’t I, if I were a girl? I’m quite glad I’m a man.”

### Concerns and Realizations

**Nighttime Use:**

- “What if you’re sleeping? How does that work?”

- “Do you need another one?”

**Thoughts on Womanhood:**

- “I’d be worried about getting blood everywhere.”

- “You’ll need access to toilets to change it, unless you’re going to do it in public.”

### Breaking the Stigma

**Why the Taboo?**

- “Why do you think people don’t talk about it?”

- “It’s bleeding out of your fanny. You hear people say, ‘Oh, you’re on your period,’ which is associated with being moody.”

- “There’s a whole taboo about it. So what? I go for a pee or number two. What’s the big deal? It’s natural.”

**Importance of Understanding:**

- “The stigma around menstruation is a bigger issue than the tampon itself. No periods, no babies. No babies, no future.”

- “So how important is it to understand menstruation?”

- “Very important. You can’t take away the bleeding, but you can remove the anxiety of it.”

### Reflection on Awareness

**Changing Perspectives:**

- “I feel terrible. I’m so sorry.”

- “Do you think this has changed the way you think about women and their periods?”

- “Look, I don’t envy you, but I’m very sympathetic now. I came in thinking I knew something, but I realize how much I didn’t know.”

### Conclusion

- “So, you didn’t know as much as you thought?”

- “No worries. We boys just don’t get it, do we?”

- “This is amazing. This is something that you girls do on a monthly basis, and men have no real idea about.”

### Final Thoughts

Understanding menstruation is crucial for fostering empathy and reducing stigma. Open conversations can bridge the gap between experiences and create a supportive environment for all.