Periods

[Chocolate Moose]

What is the difference between a normal period and an abnormal one? As a male I will never experience one but wanted to know more about this. I know some people get cramps and others do the point it's hard to function. I'm wondering if this is usual for everyone or not. Can people have periods and be able to carry on as usual without feeling ill or crappy? Just curious.

[Sam W]

Hi Chocolate Moose,

I think it's great that you're looking to learn more about periods as a cis guy!

The basic answer is that a "normal" period is going to be a little different for everyone, because our bodies are just that diverse. Too, I would say that for most people, it's less about there being a specific experience they have with every single period and more that they have a range of experiences that are the norm for them and their bodies. To use the example of cramps, a given person who's been menstruating for awhile probably has a sense of both how likely they are to get cramps, and the levels of intensity those cramps usually are.

As for being able to carry on as usual during a period, I'd say the vast majority of people can do so, in part because we HAVE to learn how because there really aren't a lot of accommodations in society as a whole for menstruation. The expectation is that people should just do what they have to in order to manage their symptoms, then go to school, work, etc as normal, even if they're still experiencing pain or discomfort. Some people do have periods severe enough--either because that's the luck they got or because they have an underlying condition like endometriosis--that it's genuinely hard for them to do much during them, while others tend to have periods that a fairly mild so they don't need to make many adjustments to their day to day life during them at all.

If you want to learn more, I suggest digging into to this piece: On the Rag: A Guide to Menstruation

[Chocolate Moose]

Thanks. I will check out the article. The only other thing I was interested in knowing do tampons hurt to insert? Do girls and women feel them inside them once in place? Is it noticeable to them all the time or irritating to them all the time while in their vagina?

[Ginger!!]

Hi!
As a girl/human with a vagina , the goal is that if you put the tampon in right, you shouldnt feel it! In my experience with tampons it has never irritated me! Though the tampon can irritate or cause infection if it’s in there for too long.

[CaitlinEve]

Chocolate Moose,

Every body (and everybody) is different, so what works for them differs too! Some people are completely comfortable with tampons, others prefer menstrual cups, and some like period underwear and pads. For example, people with vaginismus (a condition causing painful muscle spasms in the vagina as a response to pressure/contact) often experience pain and discomfort using tampons but that doesn't mean they're doing something wrong! There is no one-size-fits-all supply for menstruation, it all depends on each individual's body and preferences.

[Chocolate Moose]

I had wondered about the whole size thing and multiple types of tampons. You see the commercial all the time on TV. I was thinking that all they were trying to do was upsell people on a bigger more expensive box to make profit. Now, I understand that there are legit reasons for it.

[Willa]

Hi Chocolate Moose,

Those commercials are often for the different amounts of flow during a persons period, which can be heavier or lighter. When someone has a higher flow, that means more blood and sometimes they prefer a larger or more absorptive tampon. Let us know if you have any other questions.