Your Man (or Boy) and YOUR Period. Love Him – Love You!

Guys - Do you run away from this or do you face the reality?

As promised, I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to write about this topic. Many of you are confused probably at the title (unless you’re my regular followers who’ve read my previous “hint” on this upcoming topic), but it’s all about men in menstruation! After all, how could I not have a topic all about that eh? As many of you know, men in general are not very well versed on the subject of menstruation. According to statistics by U By Kotex:

72% of women believe that society is more open to discussing men’s health.
And 60% of those women feel that they’re expected to keep vaginal health issues to themselves.

Well it’s a good thing that the other 28% of women believe that society is equally or more open to discussing women’s health and I’m glad to be one of those guys considered by that 28%! Also…

28% of girls wish they could talk to their boyfriend, husband or significant other about vaginal health.

And although 28% seems like a small percentage, then given those statistics world-wide, that is a tremendous number of women who wish they could talk to their boyfriend, husband or significant other about vaginal health. Although this does not necessarily mean menstruation is the only key topic about menstrual health, but certainly you can imagine that within that 28% that there must be a handful who want to be able to have such conversations with their bf, hb or s/o. To put it into perspective, assuming data from EarthTrends, the female population worldwide is approx. 3,428,196,000. Although understandably, not all these females may have reached the age of menstruation or have the necessity to talk about vaginal health – there is a potential based on the above figures that 959,894,880 of females DO want to talk about vaginal health issues with their bf, hb or s/o. Stunning isn’t it, that so many females have to keep quiet on such an important life-topic to someone they’re supposed to be with for life, for better or worse?

With statistical-mumbo-jumbo behind us, being a member of a menstrual-interested community, sharing this interest of menstruation both knowledge and fetish, I can say that there are quite a few men who are actively interested in menstruation and vaginal health. Even if they’re not part of the community, I’m sure there are many more who secretly hide their interest in the female menstrual cycle, perhaps out of shame or embarassment. Suffice to say, for the many of us guys who speak openly and passionately about periods – what is there to say about us?

If you look around the internet, you will see many discussions, particularly ones created by men – that have a very negative perception of menstruation. It’s what society is so accustomed to – being immersed in an environment where menstruation is taboo and thus, causes many men and women alike to become repulsive to something nature has given the female body. Whether you believe in a greater being or biological science, the reality is that females born with a vagina and eventually reach normal sexual maturation will menstruate. To be a man, you must hate menstruation. To be a man, you must forbid your girlfriend, wife or partner to speak to you about her period or vaginal health. To be a man, you must act disgusted every time she brings such topics up. To be a man, you should not assist her in buying her feminine hygiene items. To be a man, it is inappropriate for you to have any knowledge about menstruation other than she’s bleeding, she’s bitchy and she’s in pain. How has our definition of being a man evolved to ignorance and having no compassion and understanding for our female counterparts. Should we not love them – through understanding and nurture their positivity towards their own body and natural bodily functions?

Ouchies - Menstrual pains =( We feel bad for you and want to make you feel better!

OK, so maybe I’ve kinda run around in a circle typing this post instead of getting right to the point! So, ladies, if you ended up with a boyfriend, husband or significant other who was interested in vaginal health and menstruation, how would you take advantage of something like this? I think most women’s reaction would be of utter disgust and yes, I’ve seen it happen. Usually the thoughts of, “Why would a guy ever want to know something like that?” or “Eww, even I don’t like to know about my period, why would I want him to?” From questioning most of my girls, they have a very positive sentiment towards guys who are interested in menstruation (well after all, they know about my interest, lol) or female anatomy – so perhaps I’m getting a very biased response – yet, some great understanding on their point-of-views nonetheless!

So why should you see having a boyfriend, husband or significant other who is interested in your vaginal health and menstruation as a benefit to you? First of all, I’m a believer that knowledge is power – how often have you seen someone’s knowledge be of harm to them? Perhaps one could claim that curiousity may lead you down a bad path, but that’s only if you consider it bad. For instance, curiousity IS what led me down the road of wanting to learn even MORE about menstruation and the female body. However, is that such a bad thing? Although one’s knowledge may not have any direct impact on them, having knowledge of a broad scope only betters a person! Knowledge is only bad when it is applied with the intent to hurt. For instance, having knowledge on making a firearm is not ‘bad knowledge’ BUT using that knowledge to make a firearm and hurting someone with it IS bad!

I asked my friend Sonia about what if she had a boyfriend who was interested in vaginal health and menstruation and she was knowlegdable about his interest. How would she feel? How could she positively view such an interest? Here’s what she says (with corrections to made to her short-hand typing):

• well i would be gladly surprise
• but that’s because i am a very open person, i want to express myself
• and sometimes u can only express yourself about ovaries pain with your girlfriends
• but what if your girlfriends are not there
• and your boyfriend is there and you need to talk to someone you trust
• you know and also people tend to say that you should share everything with your boyfriend
• and from experience, someone who suffers from pains caused by periods, that is a big part of your life
• i personally like my boyfriend to know about those stuff

Sharing period-related things on your mind to a guy who's well-versed in menstruation has its benefits!

As you can see, there can be great positivity and appreciation from a girl to a guy if he’s knowledgeable and shows interest in her body and menstruation. I understand that menstruation and vaginal health is something that is very personal, but let’s face it… if this is someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with – IS there anything concerning one’s health so much “personal” anymore? Your health is naturally of importance to both you and your life-partner!

Although I’m not big on the idea of Whisper using boy/girl relationship as a way of promoting their products… one thing they do have right is the idea that men should be involved with their girlfriend’s period in that he should be supportive and still carry out a “every day” lifestyle whether she’s on her period or not!

Leading into what another one of my friends said about health and sexual-health in general…:

• well, i guess its beneficial for both because it’s important to learn about human health in general. Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I’m constricted to learn about women health only. If my male partner doesn’t know something about their genital health and i do know, i can share that knowledge. So it works both ways. both being knowledgeable about each other’s genital health will be beneficial for both
• as they can take care of each other and not get diseases
• it’s like taking care of each other

[I mentioned whether she’s thinking about genital health particularly towards STD’s]

• more like the opposite!
• Yeah!
• or even cancer
• prostate cancer is common as well
• on menstruation, i guess it helps men understand the hormonal thing women go through, so maybe they can understand why they get irritated at times
• why period even happens
• and the complexity of women menstrual cycle
• knowing is power
• why would you not learn something that is out there for you?
• doesn’t help the men directly
• but any knowledge is important
• Well, being with a woman shows that he cares for her, meaning he must care for everything she is. and menstruation is part of it
• i wonder what Edward Cullen does when Bella is in her period (twilight)

I proceeded to link her to this picture:

Twilight - I Drank Your Blood Last Night (Think on the theme of this blog)

• I mean, why is it important to learn about planets and the universe? If it doesn’t benefit the person directly? it’s the same as menstruation
• if menstruation is gross, we even had to learn about why we poop, and pee
• why we fart

It’s as important for women to know about their own vagina and menstrual-health as it is for a guy who is involved with their female counterpart! After all, heterosexual males love women so much, why is it that we don’t love them as a whole, menstruation-included? Why do we run away when we see the first drop of menstrual flow come from her vagina and feel repulsed towards her vagina when all the other 26 days of the month we’re obsessed with it? Women aren’t our tools, their existence is not to be our slaves of sexual satisfaction, but they are our love and life companions and we should start showing that kind of respect for their bodies! Menstruation is but of only ONE important component to respecting the female anatomy, so don’t perceive it that is the only thing us guys should be respecting.

Girls, you can definitely take pride in knowing that if you have a significant other who is “into” periods or female health – consider yourself a lucky gal! Maybe I should not be trumpeting myself as some kind of hero or “great guy” – but certainly, I would hope to imagine one day my girlfriend will find great appreciation with my knowledge (if she hasn’t already) and know that she’s one of the few blessed with a guy who’s “on her side” when it comes to her health and menstrual-well-being! Girls should be able to share everything with their man and as a man, we should be able to provide a support net for all their worries and help them make the best decision possible when it comes to their health!

Talking openly about your vaginal health and menstrual-cycle to your significant other is important to the relationship's well-being!

Suffice to say another lucky area for a gal when their guy is into menstruation is the fact he’s going to be there for you, sexually, 365 days a year! For many guys, their natural repulsion towards menstruation means that every year, there are (based on a 5-day active menstruating average) 60 sex-less days! Menstruation often causes massive fluctuations in girls, resulting in a higher libido (aka horniness) and many women who have men who won’t even go near them during that time find themselves resorting to masturbation during her period (note: when I say “resort” – it is not meant to indicate masturbation is a bad thing). Why should a guy not fulfill his regular sexual duties just because she’s on her period? Can we not find it in our MANLINESS to ensure that our loving partner is sexually satisfied whether she’s on or off her period? Women make a shitload of sacrifices for men isn’t it about time WE do the same? A good ol’ orgasm for your female partner while she’s in cramped up and totally down is a great way of alleviating her cramps and encouraging her body’s serotonin and dopamine to get to work! Orgasms in women cause the the pelvic muscles to contract as well as repeated cervix movements help relax the muscles often affected by menstrual cramps. Orgasms help us feel relaxed due to the euphoric sensation and release of “happy hormones” which may help with the general moodiness of your girl during her PMS or menstrual phases. A happy girl is a good girl!

Here’s some random thoughts in my head associated with why having a guy who’s interested in menstruation is to your (females) advantage!

• We don’t complain when your period comes – we are happy
• We’ll happily pick up your feminine hygiene supplies for you
• We’ll pick up the CORRECT pads/tampons on the first try
• We’ll pamper you (even more) and care for you, even when you’re on your period instead of running away like little boys
• We know HOW to make you feel good on your period!
• We’re not afraid of the sight of menstrual blood and won’t in turn have you cleaning us up because we puked
• If you’re horny, we’ll still have sex with you because we’re man enough
• We’ll help you track your period, not because we’re timing when to get out of your way, but because we’re excited for your next one
• We may very well know more about YOUR menstrual cycle than you do
• We love you 365 days in a year
• When PMS arrives, we know the right words to say – or say none at all (as long as you’re happy)
• We don’t mind that your breasts may be tender, your face is having a zit-breakout or you gained a few pounds of bloatiness
• We’ll listen to your menstrual complaints happily – because we’re learning from it while you moan and groan
• We’ll show compassion and care because we understand the effects that menstruation has on you, hormonally, physically and emotionally
• We know how to change your feminine hygiene if worse-comes-to-worse (a REAL man should know how to do this, lol)
• We are more likely to be more knowledgeable about your body as a whole
• You’re beautiful to us even when you’re not-looking-the-best due to your period
• We may or may not look forward to the day you reach menopause (I don’t 😦 – I jokingly tell bebe that I’ll have to look for a new wife when that happens, LOL)
• We won’t squirm when we go to take the garbage out full of your bloody pads and tampons
• We’ll encourage you try different pads or tampons – or better yet, try reusable products better for your health and environment
• You can openly have conversations with us about your period, vaginal health and MORE – whether at home or in the feminine hygiene aisle
• You can rely on us to teach our sons/daughters the truth and beauty of menstruation
• We perceive menstruation positively and won’t hassle you about it
• We are knowledgeable enough to use proper terms, PMS is not menstruation and menstruation is not PMS
• You can be proud of us that out of all your girlfriends, you probably own one of the few guys in this world who are interested in your menstrual and vaginal well-being (yes, I said “own” – LOL)
• We have an inquisitive mind and like to learn things… to YOUR benefit
• We give you the best because you DESERVE the best!

Now that’s one hell of a list! See why guys who love menstruation rock too? 😀  There certainly are positives to having a guy like this, so rather than feeling that you should be repulsed at his knowledge, take advantage of the fact that he appreciates the female body just that much! We’re a rare breed and you should love that! The next time you meet a guy who’s interested in menstruation, take the time to get to know him as a person – rather than assuming he’s a pervert or weirdo. We’re human just like anyone else – we have just learned to love the female body the way nature made them to be!

S.H.E in a Carnation 康乃馨 Pad Commercial