Monthly Bleeding To Cramps, 6 Men Tell Us What Shocked Them About Periods

While women often talk about menstruation in hush-hush tones, most Indian men hardly know anything about it. Most of them hear the term when they have to study the reproduction chapter in school or in advertisements. Some get acquainted with menstruation when they see their mother, sister, or partners suffering from cramps but even then many choose to stay away from learning any more about periods.

So we asked a few men about when they heard about periods and what their reaction was. Here’s what they had to tell us.

Keerthi Krishna (27)

Keerthi Krishna got familiar with periods when he was only four or five. His mother taught him about it. However, he could vaguely remember the description. He again got acquainted with menstruation when one of his friends experienced cramps.

It used to astonish him how few of his friends used to face the issue because of infrequent periods. It was also baffling for him to learn that menstruating women are not allowed to enter temple premises or touch any religious idols at home.

Ishan Kumar (29)

Ishan Kumar learnt about periods through Whisper ads. They were his first reference to the term. As he grew older, he gathered more information through textbooks, and here and there.

He was surprised to learn that menstruators experience mood swings and cramps. Up until this time, he was only aware that women feared staining their clothes. He said men know very little about the subject because nobody talks about it.

Vaibhav Vibhor (26)

Vaibhav Vibhor came across periods in 2015 via one of his college friends. Till that moment, he did not know about sanitary pads and their usage. His friends explained to him what they go through, the cramps they experience and that the cycle repeats every month.

He was astounded to learn that women experience menstruation every month, and most of the time, it comes with pain in different parts of the body. He said he could not function when he gets hungry while menstruators around the world perform every task while bleeding for a week every month.

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Vishal Rai (24)

Vishal Rai learnt about periods when he was in school. However, he gathered most of the information from his girlfriend, who experiences pain in her back and abdomen. He was surprised to know how painful the menstrual cramps can be, and he learnt to take care of her during premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Runaq (18)

Runaq was introduced to menstruation when he was only nine. He saw his 16-year-old sister suffering from pain and going back and forth to the bathroom with a packet in her hands.

When he asked if she was ill, she told him that it was menstruation. He was shocked to know that women bleed every month, they experience pain and can do very little about it. “I saw her doing her work with that pain, and I realised how privileged men are,” he added.

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Divanshu Sodha (21)

Divanshu Sodha heard of periods for the first time in seventh grade when he saw a used pad in her sister’s hand. She was about to throw it when he asked her what it was. She explained menstruation to him and why women use sanitary pads. He was shocked to learn about the process and asked her if he would have to go through the same when he grows up.

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