Terms for feminine hygiene products that don't offend trans-men??

[CocktailQueen]

I was having this debate the other day with a friend and I'm sturggling to understand her POV. We were talking about terms for sanpro - towel, pad, menstrual pad, feminine hygiene products - and my friend said that 'feminine hygiene product' is trans-exclusionary, because trans-men have periods and often do not go by the adjective 'feminine'.

I was like, wtf?? Plenty of women aren't necessarily feminine, or would call themselves feminine, but 'feminine' in this context relates to their sex, not a personality characteristic, so seems suitable for menstrual items.

And why should all sanpro be renamed/relabelled to suit the needs of a handful of trans-men? Her suggestion was 'menstrual pads'.

Saying "pads" or "menstrual cup" or "tampons" instead of "feminine hygiene products" doesn't hurt or bother anyone and would make transmen feel happier, so I can't see any reason not to do it. Why not be accommodating towards people if it has no negative effect on you?

Wouldn't most be on hormones to prevent menstruation?

I think we've jumped the menstruating shark on this one.

What tantrictantrum said!

I'll call them whatever I like, what an attention seeking non issue

Well, I personally talk about "sanpro" , but anyone who wants to suggest that menstruation isn't a women's issue can fuck off as far as I'm concerned.

I'm sorry if facts and biology are hurtful #sorrynotsorry

Why not be accommodating towards people if it has no negative effect on you?

Because it feels like she was suggesting that the rights of billions of menstrating women should be cast aside in preference of the rights of a few trans-men.

And not all trans-men are on HRT apparently, for various reasons.

Yet another trans thread for feminist to deal with.

Sorry, i am actually sorry. Didn't mean to be rude there. I agree with you OP.

As you were.

Calling a pad a feminine hygiene product instead of a pad is a right? How does it make a difference to your life?

'feminine hygiene' is a euphemism though- actually so is sanpro really- menstrual cup/pad/tampon seems accurate

Pretending that 1) any men can menstruate 2) menstruation isn't a women issue

Is hugely damaging to the millions (billions?) of women and girls who don't have access to sanpro or toilets. To the millions of girls who drop out of school altogether when their periods start, and the others who miss 1/4 of their education due to lack of sanpro, and to the women dying (yes, there was one in Nepal recently) because of superstitions around menstruation.

Menstruation, abortion, contraception, pregnancy, childbirth - all WOMENS ISSUES. And I don't care if that hurts your feelings!

We all want an inclusive would (I asume). But when a such a very small part of the population is affected to want extent should we expect huge change in branding, everyday day language to accommodate these sensibilities?

First world non- issue. Sounds like someone is searching for something to be angry about. That said I am not sure I have ever used the term 'feminine hygiene products' as it sounds so terribly naff. Why not use 'pad' or sanitary towels/ tampon ?

Well said Hermione. Absolutely fed up of reading this sort of stuff. It's ridiculous

Over huge swathes of the world, women and girls have no access to any feminine hygeine products. They can't go to school when they have their period. In some places, they are sent to shed during menstruation where they sometimes die.

If someone's main concern when going to bat on anything related to periods is not upsetting someone who cannot bear to be reminded of their own biology, then that person needs a shake. And the person they're going to bat for needs helped to reconciling themselves to the world we actually exist in, where biology is transphobic as fuck.

x-post hermione!

I get where you are coming from but "menstrual products" would actually be a better catch all name than the twee "feminine hygiene products"

I take the point that a request for such a name change would have been unlikely to have been considered until now.

Hermione, you are spot on, except in your use of the term 'sanpro', which is twee.

A favourite of mine for tampons is Snatch Mouse.

By all means, let's ditch "feminine hygiene" for being a horrid phrase, for suggesting that women are unhygienic without intervention, and for being ridiculously twee - I'd be all for that.

How about chuff stuff? Vagwear?

If they're a transsexual they won't have an orifice to menstruate out of and it won't be a problem. Afaik they don't bleed out their constructed penises.

If they do have an orifice to bleed out of they're a woman dressed in trousers. Bit like me really!

Yy Hermione. If we pretend that periods aren't a women's issue then we're going to have a lot of confused young people in the future. Can you imagine the nightmare of sex ed in primary schools now now that children are told to self identify as a particular gender?

Something I heard on R4 recently was the term 'menstruators'. FFS. Are we now 'bleeders'?

To use a topical turn of phrase: there is a lot of muddled thinking here...

Snatch Mouse! 😄