Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Genuine question - can trans women experience cramps during their ‘time of the month’?

415 replies

Picklemeyellow · 29/12/2023 10:42

This is a genuine question as I am baffled.

I looking on Tik Tok last night (don’t judge me, I’m addicted lol)and I notice on my For You section there is often a trans women doing live Q&A’s. I stopped and watched for a while, out of curiosity tbh as DH has a couple of transgender people in his family and I do try to remain as ‘on the fence’ as possible with this subject.

However, this person on TT said something which does not make much sense to me.

They were saying they take HRT and this gives them ‘a time of the month’ when they experience a very emotional dip and have crying spells and feel low etc. I suppose that may make some sense due to the hormones they take but then they went on to say they also experience cramping during this time and started rubbing their lower tummy in the area where a woman’s uterus is located.
It was difficult to establish why this happens because anyone actually questioning this gets blocked and only those agreeing with them get to stay to ask questions! I appreciate they probably receive some very negative replies but blocking doesn’t answer the questions to people who really would like to know.

I genuinely can not understand where the cramps would originate in a person without female anatomy?

As someone who has been under the gynae department for 20+ years, has had to live their live around horrendous periods, has had endless hysteroscopies and uterine polyp removals, ovulation so painful I couldn’t sit properly, a failed uterine ablation, going through an awful perimenopause and now, at 50 only just discovering this is probably all due to the fact I actually have endometriosis and adenomyosis and have been gas lit for all this time having being told that some women just have awful periods etc, I more than understand where my cramps and pain come from. From my shit malfunctioning uterus and hormones which have never been my friend.

But where would a trans woman’s ‘time of the month’ cramps come from? What part of their body cramps due to the addition of female hormones? I’ve tried googling this but there’s very little. Can the hormones cramp the muscles or bowel in this area or something similar?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
Rainbowshit · 30/12/2023 13:20

raspberrycardigan · 30/12/2023 13:12

Will they so enthusiastically embrace menopause though?!

There's nothing disgusting men won't fetishise. Already happening.

CornishPorsche · 30/12/2023 14:14

raspberrycardigan · 30/12/2023 13:12

Will they so enthusiastically embrace menopause though?!

That's a excellent point - I've seen no mention of hormones being refused / changed / stopped among men in the age bracket where menopause would be relevant to a woman of the same age.

DewHopper · 30/12/2023 14:20

Northernsouloldies · 30/12/2023 12:21

NHS SCOTLAND.. some hospitals have free sanpro in the gents toilets wonder how much that brainwave cost and a non starter, men don't require sanpro.

Plus transmen are too afraid to use the men's loos so seem to use women's in any case.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Menopause Women's health
DewHopper · 30/12/2023 14:24

raspberrycardigan · 30/12/2023 13:12

Will they so enthusiastically embrace menopause though?!

These delectable male girls in their 40s are far too young to be going through menopause of course! Why, they are only just going through their girl puberty...

Baldieheid · 30/12/2023 14:24

What do the cross sex hormones actually DO??

Do they prompt the male body to lay down fat on the chest, to pretend are boobs?

Eat a few pies - voila, moobs. Many men grow them just by aging. Why do these lot need drugs?

What else does it all do? They can't grow female organs, so what else actually happens?

Not what they pretend happens - ACTUALLY HAPPENS.

I know it's not periods and wolf whistles.

Waitingfordoggo · 30/12/2023 14:31

@Baldieheid it’s mainly about growing some boobs as far as I can tell. Also possibly makes (head) hair thicker and skin smoother. Reduce muscle mass and increase fat maybe? But that might be to do with reduction in testosterone as opposed to increasing oestrogen. Aside from that I don’t think there is much it can do. (Some lovely TW claim it makes them ‘smell different’- including their genitals. 🤢 Doubt that’s true and probably just part of the fetish).

DewHopper · 30/12/2023 14:35

I also remember an article about the different 'mouth feel' of an oestrogenised penis...it was pretty revolting as I recall.

CyberCritical · 30/12/2023 14:39

Baldieheid · 30/12/2023 14:24

What do the cross sex hormones actually DO??

Do they prompt the male body to lay down fat on the chest, to pretend are boobs?

Eat a few pies - voila, moobs. Many men grow them just by aging. Why do these lot need drugs?

What else does it all do? They can't grow female organs, so what else actually happens?

Not what they pretend happens - ACTUALLY HAPPENS.

I know it's not periods and wolf whistles.

Changes fat distribution so they get rounder buttocks, hips, face and breasts
Softens skin and can improve acne
Reduces hair growth on face/legs/arms/chest
Increased hair growth so can but doesn't always reduce male pattern baldness/receding hair line
Can but doesn't always reduce aggression

Baldieheid · 30/12/2023 14:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

mrswhiplington · 30/12/2023 14:58

I'm 62 and I've been through periods, childbirth, miscarriage, breast cancer with mastectomy and menopause. They're welcome to the lot of it.😔

Baldieheid · 30/12/2023 15:00

Following on from the author of the piece linked a few posts above, I found his YouTube channel and what I feel is an honest account of his decision to detransition.

He's pretty open about the medical consequences of the cross sex hormones, and they sound bad, even for someone as young and apparently healthy as he seems to be.

Why I am Detransitioning

This is just *my* story of detransition.

https://youtu.be/maCfcnE04aM?si=RtbaqyNa7gEdyAAL

Waitingfordoggo · 30/12/2023 15:00

That’s interesting @DewHopper!
I remember reading (and being disgusted by) the article at the time. Very surprised to see the writer has detransitioned.

Waitingfordoggo · 30/12/2023 15:13

Just watched that @Baldieheid. Very interesting. I particularly like that he is keen not to give the impression that his life as a trans person was hard. On the contrary, he got into a new and loving relationship, got a great job, bought a house…. Rather goes against the narrative we hear about trans people being so very oppressed with terribly difficult lives, and not having the same rights as everyone else!

Baldieheid · 30/12/2023 17:01

He seems to have both gone into, and come out of, the trans bubble with pretty open eyes. I doubt he knew what the physical effects would be, the negative ones anyway, but he seems to acknowledge in the comments that his reasons for doing it didn't include gender dysphoria.

I can only assume the cross sex hormones were presented to him as a "no risk" option, as I just can't imagine someone not in deep distress being prepared to risk organ damage on a whim.

BigFatCat2024 · 30/12/2023 23:58

MorningSunshineSparkles · 29/12/2023 11:57

I tend to agree with PPs that they’re not likely to be experiencing them, but I have a follow up question (and want to cause no offence so I’m incredibly sorry if it is insensitive).

If you’ve had a hysterectomy do you still experience cramps? My father lost his arm a few years back and can still “feel” it, is it the same for a hysterectomy/cramps etc?

I had a hysterectomy in the summer. Surgical menopause has been a bit shit, but happy to say that I have had nothing like a period cramp since!

BigFatCat2024 · 31/12/2023 00:03

MintyfreshSW · 29/12/2023 12:51

I would have presumed this is the same as women who have had a hysterectomy still experiencing PMS? If the overies are left in place they are the primary source of hormones that trigger the experience. Therefore it’s not impossible to me to imagine someone taking the same hormones would then experience the same symptoms.

Edited

That's because they still have ovaries! Men do not have ovaries, they will not be affected by the hormone fluctuations that women have so no, not the same at all

MintyfreshSW · 31/12/2023 00:24

BigFatCat2024 · 31/12/2023 00:03

That's because they still have ovaries! Men do not have ovaries, they will not be affected by the hormone fluctuations that women have so no, not the same at all

Show quote history

There are trans women who receive the same / similar hormones so why wouldn’t the symptoms of said hormone be the same?

AIstolemylunch · 31/12/2023 00:31

Really? You really, really, really don't understand why the effects of a hormone in completely different sexed bodies, with completely different organs, with completely different endocrine systems, with no cycle wouldn't be the same, or even similar?

If you put petrol in your petrol car and I put petrol in my diesel car it's exactly the same?

Waitingfordoggo · 31/12/2023 00:49

why wouldn’t the symptoms of said hormone be the same?

Why would they be the same? There are hundreds of differences between male and female bodies.

sashh · 31/12/2023 06:58

Whyyoulyingfor · 29/12/2023 12:31

Maybe I’m the minority then. I couldn’t care less if someone was transgender, gay, straight, non binary etc. It does not impact my life and as long as they are not hurting anyone else I do not see the problem. My point was; everyone seems to be so full of hate about absolutely everything or looking for things to be offended about constantly. It’s tedious.

Show quote history

You should care because this is damaging to women.

I'm 57 with arthritis, I am never going to be an olympic athlete but I care that men can claim to be women and take medals that belong to women.

I care that in Scotland women and girls who have been raped only have a place to go for treatment, counselling and care because JK Rowling set one up.

To expect a rape victim to be examined by a man who claims to be a woman and not be allowed to say anything about it and to have care withdrawn if she does is something you should be bothered about.

It isn't hate to want a female doctor / nurse.

StragglyTinsel · 31/12/2023 07:45

Waitingfordoggo · 31/12/2023 00:49

why wouldn’t the symptoms of said hormone be the same?

Why would they be the same? There are hundreds of differences between male and female bodies.

Exactly!

It is so utterly depressing when people are so poorly informed about basic biology that they can’t imagine why hormones would affect male and female bodies differently. And they think that removing an organ somehow turns women into men.

It’s even worse when people try to deflect from this biological nonsense in a ‘well. Do what? I don’t care about the differences. I’m too kind and caring for that’.

Baldieheid · 31/12/2023 09:05

Kind and caring to males. Males only. Other females can go fish, apparently.

Balloonhearts · 31/12/2023 09:51

Of course they bloody can't! Cramps are from the uterus contracting, men don't have a uterus!

DewHopper · 31/12/2023 10:34

MintyfreshSW · 31/12/2023 00:24

There are trans women who receive the same / similar hormones so why wouldn’t the symptoms of said hormone be the same?

Show quote history

The lack of knowledge that women have about their own bodies (and yes, how they are so very different to men's bodies) is really worrying. It's a failure of education as well as a product of the age old shame that follows women and our bodily functions around. Add in to the mix deeply unpleasant fetishistic men now muddying the waters and confusing girls and women who didn't know enough about their biology to begin with.
It's a depressing shit show.