Menstruators!!! - What's Up, Docs? on Radio 4

[IdaGlossop]

This is an interesting programme on Radio 4. I have learnt that 1/3 of menstruators suffer period poverty. Interesting. I have learnt that the plastic in a packet of sanitary towels is the equivalent of eight plastic bags. Interesting. I have learnt that it is possible to make a 30-minute programme about the defining physical process of the female body without once using a female pronoun. Ludicrous and infuriating.

YABU = menstruators is an inclusive word to use to describe male and female people losing the lining of their womb each month

YANBU = menstruators is an absurd word that panders to the deluded fantasists who have persuaded themselves that a human being born male can lose his womb lining once a month for 40 years.

Yes true, and so dehumanising - we don’t hear Radio 4 programmes about “ejaculators” do we?

What a pair of utter, utter ball sack havers.

(I never liked them tbh. My best friend raves about them but I cannot stand the smuggery).

I 100% agree with you - of course it should say women!! I wish they would talk to women about this matters instead of menstruators.

I was being sarcastic due to all the erosion of women in text this days which really winds me up.

The word they are looking for is women.

NO ONE IS SAYING THEY CAN

So bored of these threads where people are tripping so fast over their own outrage and haste to assume that absolutely everything is about trans women, that they completely ignore the fact that the aim here is to be inclusive to trans men.

I couldn’t care less whether you do or don’t think trans identity is real, and whether you consider trans men are trans men or biological women, whatever, but whatever terminology you use, it really doesn’t take that much intelligence to figure out that that is what is being talked about here.

I also think this is a stupid hill for GC mumsnetters to die on, though. Not all women menstruate, and even those who do for a while are likely to have significant decades-long portions of their life where they don’t. ‘Menstruators’ is a bit clumsy, but it’s also more specific and accurate in relation to what they’re talking about than ‘women’ in this case.

Tbh, I was more concerned to find out that the doctors had only ever learnt about menstruation in terms of reproduction and nothing about the 101 other issues that women can suffer because of it.

Menstruators is fine by me. My 17yo is non binary, but menstruates. My slightly older friends are women but no longer have periods so are not menstruators. It really doesn't bother me. That podcast has used female pronouns in past episodes when talking about menopause etc.

The word is females, which trans men remain, regardless of surgery or hormones

And girls.

So “ women that menstruate then” . “People” implies everyone either sex.

Very Handmaid’s Tale

This is such bollox, they are offending the majority of women to appease a small group of women who want to pretend for some reason that they are not women.

I guess, by definition, men are all wankers?

Surely the equivalent is a word starting with ‘w’?

A very warm welcome to What’s Up, Docs?, where we’re here for all the wankers tuning in today.

Together, we’ll dive into important health issues affecting wankers, breaking the silence and getting real about what it means for wankers to stay well, both physically and mentally.

This show is all about wankers supporting wankers, encouraging every wanker to take charge of their health.

So, whether you’re a wankers looking for advice or just want to hear wanker's stories, we’ve got you covered.

📻

Yep, sounds like an enticing programme.

The clearest and fairest way to include trans men (0.1% of the population) is to say trans men.

That podcast has used female pronouns in past episodes when talking about menopause etc.

Oh well, that's all right, then. One tiny crumb, what are we all complaining about?

I don't understand why posters are mentioning menopause, contraception and so on to point out that not all women menstruate. We know that. I'm well through the menopause myself, glory be. The point is, as I've already said, that not a single male human will ever menstruate. It's a feature of human reproduction that only affects the female half of the population. So why not use sexed pronouns? So much clearer and more accurate.

It is just that when its applied to the law.

The person must prove a need so prove a bleed.
Bleeding woman bleeders
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/1

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2022/25/enacted

Eligibility for the scheme[school/college]
Girls, women, and pupils and students who identify as non-binary or transgender, who have periods may all need to access this scheme. All pupils and students in schools and 16 to 19 organisations should be able to access period products if they need them.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-in-schools-and-colleges/period-product-scheme-for-schools-and-colleges-in-england

Yes they were, and yes it did sound forced.

As much as I wanted to listen to the programme, even though I stopped menstruating over 25 years ago, I just couldn't take the verbal gymnastic they were employing in order to avoid using the words woman/women.

I ended up switching off in irritation. Only women menstruate, but apparently, that fact has to be air brushed out; utterly ridiculous.

How about "women who menstruate"? Covers it really

Those we do not have🤣

I think @1one is being sarcastic.

I had to turn it off. What a load of shit.
‘people’ who have periods.

Me and my adult daughter with special needs ( language and communication) listened to this in the car. She found it very confusing. She knows what the word woman means so she would understand this was about her but she has no idea what a menstruater is and there is no way she could say it properly.

I find the use of unclear language extremely discriminatory for her.

This was a particular low point for dehumanising language:

https://nypost.com/2021/09/28/the-lancet-ripped-for-calling-women-bodies-with-vaginas/