Who has periods?
Menstruators: While periods are often coded toward “womanhood” through terms like “feminine hygiene,” periods affect a multitude of individuals including - but not limited to - trans men, nonbinary folks, and intersex individuals.
De-gendering menstruation
Because menstruation is often aligned with womanhood, for some, menstruating can trigger gender dysphoria. For example, accessing resources labeled "feminine products" in the "women's health" aisle. Also, menstrual products are provided in limited bathrooms and are visually gender-coded with pink and floral patterns.
What is gender dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria describes the distress a person may experience regarding their assigned sex at birth.
Access as a Q/T Person:
The cost of menstruation disproportionately affects queer people. Trans folks experience poverty, unemployment, and underemployment at higher rates, which can greatly impact their ability to afford period products.
Other barriers to access include the lack of menstrual products in "men's" bathrooms and restricted access to menstrual products in places like prisons.
Shifting language
What can we do?
Let's work together to shift the language around menstruation by replacing "feminine/sanitary" products with "period/menstrual" products, or simply pads/tampons/etc.
Also instead of "woman/girl", we can use "menstruator" or "menstruating person" when talking generally about people who menstruate.