Attitudes about menstruation: for everyone [may get graphic]

[spinneret]

Menstruation: are you repulsed or indifferent? Or do you think it's kind of cool? Hey, I've heard all kinds of responses from the general population, so I'm curious about how AVENites feel. I tried to make the poll options as wide as possible, please vote wherever you feel you fit.

I used to be mildly repulsed, ashamed and embarrassed. I grew indifferent (if unhappy about it), but in the last year I've tried to embrace it as a part of loving myself. Plus, my menstrual cup's made my period 8888x better. I expect I'll be in the minority here, but these days I actually do think it's kinda cool. Except, of course, when it hurts. ;)

[Charlieee]

I menstruate, and I'm indifferent about it. I don't get pains, so I'm fine there, but it's just so messy... :shock: Like I've said before, I have really strange attitudes about my body, I guess menstruation's just another reminder that hey, this is my body, and it's working, and you got unfertilized eggs and bloody wall thingies (can't think of the name right now) being let out of you...

So, yeah, indifferent but weirded out?

[spinneret]

I menstruate, and I'm indifferent about it. I don't get pains, so I'm fine there, but it's just so messy... :shock: Like I've said before, I have really strange attitudes about my body, I guess menstruation's just another reminder that hey, this is my body, and it's working, and you got unfertilized eggs and bloody wall thingies (can't think of the name right now) being let out of you...

So, yeah, indifferent but weirded out?

Yeah, I get that. When it stopped being messy, I stopped minding much at all :lol:

[Jesh]

I'm indifferent besides the whole ow my uterus is trying to force its way out of my body thing. Or that's what it feels like, anyway.

[Fel]

Oh, poor women :cry: all the crap females have to deal with, really...

[spinneret]

Oh, poor women :cry: all the crap females have to deal with, really...

Would that be indifferent, then? You oughtta vote :D

[Dargon]

The topic says for everyone, so I assume guys (who, needless to say, don't menstratue) can post. It's a natural biological function, so the fact that it happens doesn't bother me. I know guys who get all squeemish at the very word "menstruation." A female friend of mine once commented that I was the only guy she knew who didn't freak out if it was discussed (this was during a discussion of things that mess up the menstrual cycle, from being too lean to PCOS).

[spinneret]

The topic says for everyone, so I assume guys (who, needless to say, don't menstratue) can post. It's a natural biological function, so the fact that it happens doesn't bother me. I know guys who get all squeemish at the very word "menstruation." A female friend of mine once commented that I was the only guy she knew who didn't freak out if it was discussed (this was during a discussion of things that mess up the menstrual cycle, from being too lean to PCOS).

Yes, males are more than welcome to vote and discuss.

I've known several guys who were indifferent, and one who thinks it's just the most intriguing thing ever. But yeah, most seem to be repulsed.

[Boojum]

I'm highly irritated. I have a longer period so by the time I hit menopause I will have spent well over a solid decade subjected to the whimsy of my uterus. When counting PMS as well the number rises closer to 20 years. :?

[Brodertun]

I can't vote in this poll.

I don't menstruate but there is no hurting involved. I feel great. Haven't had a cramp since my last "pretend period" in November.

When I actually did menstruate, I hurt - I'd get cramps about a week before and they'd last until a few days after I was done menstruating. And I usually menstruated for 7-10 days. Every month.

A heavy flow made me feel like I had the flu.

My biggest reason for being glad I don't menstruate is that there is no hurting, no discomfort. When i actually did menstruate I would sometimes have cramps so bad that I had to double over for a few moments, and that was with taking anti-cramp pills.

[spinneret]

I can't vote in this poll.

I don't menstruate but there is no hurting involved. I feel great. Haven't had a cramp since my last "pretend period" in November.

When I actually did menstruate, I hurt - I'd get cramps about a week before and they'd last until a few days after I was done menstruating. And I usually menstruated for 7-10 days. Every month.

A heavy flow made me feel like I had the flu.

My biggest reason for being glad I don't menstruate is that there is no hurting, no discomfort. When i actually did menstruate I would sometimes have cramps so bad that I had to double over for a few moments, and that was with taking anti-cramp pills.

The "hurting" part is kind of a joke, because I knew some people would bring up pain, like Jesh did. Feel free to ignore that part. Trip, you can vote under "I menstruate or used to. . ." and males can vote under "I don't menstruate but. . ."

I know there are a ton of responses one could have to menstruation (including irritation!). I mostly want to gauge whether or not AVENites think it's gross.

[Fayetje]

I'm rather indifferent towards it...it's inconvenient because there's always a pair of underwear that needs bleaching every time (my cycles are never predictable or regular) and there's always that "having to go to the bathroom more than usual each day just to make sure you aren't leaking all over everything" but I don't have cramps or headaches or acne breakouts or PMS or anything like that to go with them so I guess I'm lucky in that way. I know some women who are practically bedridden with pain and sickness when theirs rolls around. :shock:

[oneofthesun]

I used to do that. I really, really, really, really, really hated it. I mean, seriously hated it. More than I've ever hated anything in my life. Of course the fact that I was a man trapped in a woman's body probably had something to do with that. Plus I and all the women in my family had/have endomitriosis - which was more painful than the broken shoulder, impacted wisdom teeth, and four surgeries I had COMBINED. If I ever had to have a period aagain I think I'd kill myself. Seriously. Nermind the fact that it was a female biological function and I hated it because of that, I also had no idea how much it was wrecking my life until it stopped.

[AmoebicMe]

I freaking hate it. This is going to get tooooooooooooo personal here, but I have those damn "way too fucking long, unpredictable" periods, and right now I seriously want to just rip the fuckers out. Sometimes I find myself talking to my ovaries, who I swear are trying to kill me. It makes me contemplate seasonale or something like that, but that would involve going to the gyno, and omgnothanks.

[Lady Heartilly]

I don't get pains, so I'm mostly indifferent, but whenever I think about it a lot, I keep asking myself what's the point? My body's looking for a fertilized egg so it can have kids, but I don't ever plan to have kids, and there's really no way any of my eggs are going to be fertilized unless I wake up one morning finding myself sexual, so it is a bit annoying, but I guess I got used to it.

[crazyjerseygirl]

Im sorry,...but im finding myself giggling on occasion to this post!

im indifferent... i used to hate it, but now its just like a monthly visitor...so used to it, it doesnt even bother me.

I cramp up on occasion but eh, what are ya gonna do?

oh, and just to make the other ladies jealous....

Im as regular as clockwork! :lol:

TTFN

Renee' (and her clockwork uterus)

P.S. anyone know where I can find S.Kubrick?

[Porcelain]

I menstruate and I can't stand it. I want a hysterectomy, but doctors always start up the whole having kids thing. I have never wanted children, and I never will. I wish my lady parts would go away...

[Octarine]

I'm ok with it, but you have to admit, it is really gross. I guess it's just one of those "Smile, nod, accept" things you have to get used to. It is really bizarre though. I imagine a god would have had a good laugh making up our entire reproductive process, including periods.

[Lors]

I'm indifferent. I don't find it replusive at all, it my body and I just deal with it. Can't say I embrace it or think it's cool though.

[starrysky]

Words can't describe how much I hate it. Cramps, pain during ovulation, being a bitch for no reason with PMS, never knowing when it's going to show up because it's different every month, my underwear getting worn out faster from using bleach to get the blood off, having to pee 10 times more than normal (don't know why but that always happens)... I absolutely despise it and it makes me disgusted with my body.

[Tator tot]

I despise it with a passion that burns with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns.

Yes.

I don't get cramps or bloating or anything when I'm on my period, no [when I had my first period I had bad cramps and had to stay home from school 'cuz I could barely walk without it hurting really badly, but then it stopped]... I just bleed, which makes one of my female friends all weirded out because she's like, "You don't PMS or anything? You just... bleed? Freaky!"

But that's what I hate, the bleeding. I can't sleep at night 'cuz I'm afraid of leaking, so for the first two or three nights I'll just sit on the floor beside my bed and try to at least doze by resting my head on the edge of the bed but it doesn't work so I stay up all night all paranoid.

And it makes me feel horrible and disgusted with myself and filthy and unclean. I know it's necessary for females to reproduce, but I'm not ever going to have kids and even if I wanted them I would adopt them, so why bother? And I also find it embarassing. My mother will know when I'm having my period because I'll be so tired from not sleeping and I won't want to get up from where I'm sitting to walk around and she'll be all, "Oh, are you on your period?" And I'll snap "no!" at her while thinking, 'How the hell can you use such a lighthearted tone when talking about that?!'

For the first few days of my period I just feel like tearing my uterus out with a rusty spork.

Yes.

</rant>

[Dixie]

I hate it so much.

I wouldn't mind it as much if I didn't get sick around that time, because that just makes me want it to die.

I remember the first time I got it, I was already wishing that it was time to go through menopause so I'd never have to deal with it ever again.

[Manathane]

I hate it so much.

I wouldn't mind it as much if I didn't get sick around that time, because that just makes me want it to die.

I remember the first time I got it, I was already wishing that it was time to go through menopause so I'd never have to deal with it ever again.

That's the same way I feel. I never get PMS or cramps or anything... I just bleed... and my immune system seems to die around the time of my period. I always manage to get a cold/flu or something.

[Dixie]

I hate it so much.

I wouldn't mind it as much if I didn't get sick around that time, because that just makes me want it to die.

I remember the first time I got it, I was already wishing that it was time to go through menopause so I'd never have to deal with it ever again.

That's the same way I feel. I never get PMS or cramps or anything... I just bleed... and my immune system seems to die around the time of my period. I always manage to get a cold/flu or something.

Yeah! me too. My knee joints start to ache, and it makes no sense.

..evil.. :evil:

[Nightmare]

I don't, being male, but I don't see what the problem people have with it is. It's like if you're a guy you have to automatically adopt the stereotypical attitude of disgust about it to fit in. It's just another way to separate the sexes--"Oh, I wish I could understand what you're going through"--yeah right, you're just afraid of change.

[Parth]

Are there any other girls in here that never got their period? I'm 20 and I never did develop fully, I think this could be one of the factors of my lack of sexuality, but I digress.

Yeah, I'm indifferent. I think the ability to menstruate is fundamentally a good thing since it allows for fertility. But why oh why did all the crappy stuff have to come with it? Amenorrhea is good in that it has no crappy stuff, but it also means no babies for me :(

[Akasha]

I got my period when i was 18 now I'm 21 and I just have gotten about 6 in all this time (more frequent this year) and it's repulsive to me, I hate the pain, and just thinking about blood makes me sick I hate it :?

[Derp]

Grr.. freakin' periods, man. I had to leave work early today 'cause of mine. *grumbles* Stupid things... :x

*punches self in the ovaries*

STOP RELEASING EGGS, DAMN YOU!!!

[Dixie]

*punches self in the ovaries*

STOP RELEASING EGGS, DAMN YOU!!!

My sentiments exactly, Mac.

[Tator tot]

*punches self in the ovaries*

STOP RELEASING EGGS, DAMN YOU!!!

My sentiments exactly, Mac.

Mine also.

Though usually I feel more like tearing my uterus out with a rusty spork instead, like I said.