Guess what, women’s bodies are different to men’s!

[tedlassoforprimeminister]

What a refreshing change to have the differences in male and female bodies acknowledged. Shame this can’t extend to all the sporting bodies who allow men to self identify into women’s sport.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq53v066x52o

I had noticed discussions about this on twitter this week. This is very heartening to see. Thank you.

I was just reading that article and wondered if there would be a thread. According to the article, women are "no longer just mini men". Quite how the BBC square the circle with some of the other sports articles they have published I don't know.
For example
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/67336536
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-57338207

I just read that - it was the main item in the ‘weekend picks’ section on the front page of the BBC news app!
Knock me down with a feather, not only is there a difference between men’s and women’s bodies but parts of the BBC know it and will acknowledge it!

The BBC obviously has a few journalists who understand the differences, but many who can’t/won’t.
Let’s hope the few can widen their influence.

Few weeks back I had a conversation with a bloke mate, very much a be kind type, we should just let people be who they want and if someone thinks they are a women then why not let them play in women’s teams

this week, yeah the women’s team are great but you know men are faster, stronger etc.

me: so say we played the women’s team against the men’s team the men would win?

him: well yeah course

me: why?

him: well like I said, faster, stronger, they are built different

me: so say they were made to compete it’d prob be unfair right? Because men have the advantage?

him: absolutely

me: 🙄 so should we still let men play ON women’s teams? Or does them wearing make up somehow dissolve that advantage?

no answer

Isn't it incredible that we're relieved that the national broadcaster is writing factual articles about the difference between men and women? After the nonsense spouted by medics in the SP case this week, it's a relief to see.

Oh to be a fly on the wall of his mind at that particular moment!

Some nutter is going to be on here any minute telling us about his period cramps. 🙄

It is only recently that sports kit in some sports where women play at a high level was designed for them, not an expectation to wear men's kit.

And only recently that a major transportation competition created PPE for women. Females in the company always ended up wearing small sized men’s stuff which never comfortably fitted especially the smaller more petite female bodies. Something trans women don’t have an issue with.

We never thought of that said HR until it was pushed by the Health & Safety team.

And it’s only in the last few years that period swimwear has been a thing. Generations of teenage girls having to sit at the side of the pool during school swimming one week a month and no one thought of it before.

I saw that article too, and was going to post it.

I wonder how many irate TAs are sending them furious emails full of whatabouttery.

I swam competitively at school way back when and just wore tampons. It was never an issue.

I’ve never been clear how period swimwear works, especially for heavy periods. I can’t see how it won’t leak. I’m another who never had a problem with tampons, right from first starting at the age of 12 or so, though I do understand not every girl can or wants to use them.

Lucky you!

Not all women and girls can manage tampons, especially young teenagers.

Lucky you, when I used a tampon, the damn things last about an hour before the flow pushed them right out, I had to use shoe box size ST's for the first 3 days, so swimming at that time was definitely not an option for me.

I used tampons at 17 or thereabouts. Not at 13. DD has tried tampons and couldn’t use them either, but is ok with a period swimsuit. And if the row of girls sitting out at every swimming lesson was anything to go by, an awful lot of girls in my class also struggled.

I probably didn't have a typical experience because my mother didn't give me the 'what to expect with your body changes' talk so when I got my first period I was embarrassed and didn't tell her and just started using her tampons, then when I did tell her she got me less absorbent ones.

I could not wear tampons which meant sitting at side of the pool in swimming lessons. This was the 60s, however.

I listened to the Inside Health programme on R4 that the article links to, it was excellent

Exactly! Some people just don’t apply critical thinking.

Oh I know that experience.

Not only that but with any physical exertion came the incredibly intense pain and shivers and sweats.

Tampons never did me much good as a teen, the majority of my period I bleed through them in an hour. And the really giant ones were too uncomfortable. I can manage it now but I struggled then, no way I was going in a pool or doing dance. or anything that required a skimpy outfit.

Never mind the tampons, I’d have been sitting at home clutching a hot water bottle on the worst days rather than poolside, and occasionally throwing up from the pain.

Me too, I was usually okayish in the morning so I'd go to school, it usually got so bad by 11.15ish that I leave to go home, I often got outside this one particular shop on the route home and throw up, I don't know why, the shop must have thought I was picking on them. I arrive home my nan would open the door, she point to the stairs, then she'd come up with a hot water bottle and some paracetamol's. I'd then try and sleep through it, it was the only way for most of my first days, the second day's were better.😂

The best thing about the menopause was that all came to end, I can put up with the hot flushes and the porridge brain, it's a fair trade for not suffering periods.