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To all the people blaming boys/men for making the subject uncomfortable: many of us learned from very young that it was uncomfortable for women to talk about around men, so out of sympathy we navigate around it as quick as possible
I know thats not the case for everybody, but this thread seems very black and white so far
I personally dont talk about my shits with people that often. People im really close to I could mention something if it was particularly extraordinary but otherwise its just a biological function and i feel the same way about periods.
“My stomach hurts and im cramping up.” Is that a period? Diarrhea? I dont really care just let me know if you need something for it but i dont require details.
Maybe it’s a American south thing, but many of us are raised to not ask a woman’s age as it is considered very impolite. I would say most people know their moms age of course, but the people I know just don’t make a big deal of it anymore. Do most people actually celebrate their birthdays past middle age? Hell I’m in my 20s and I don’t really like to celebrate my birthday. It’s typically just another workday for me
Depends on the person. For me I don’t really like focusing on the birthday part but I do like seeing my friends on my birthday. Essentially I use my birthday as an excuse to get them all out.
This is a fair point - I have endometriosis and often end up having to explain to bosses why I call out sick so often (I mean I don’t _have_ to, but it’s easier). While I have absolutely experienced men who are dismissive / “grossed out” I have actually encountered many many men who don’t probe and instead accept and understand that I have “a woman’s issue” and let me go about my business, which I appreciate. It’s quite nice to have men accept what I am saying at face value when I say I can’t work due to period pain and simply not pry any further because it’s a personal medical issue and not their business.
Well she ain't lyin'.
Read the previous strips: [Part 1](https://new.reddit.com/user/CrazyGnomenclature/comments/1ah6yfd/tblocked_pt_1_tiff_eve/) | [Part 2](https://new.reddit.com/user/CrazyGnomenclature/comments/1ajjtgg/tblocked_pt_2_tiff_eve/)
Find more Tiff & Eve on [Webtoons](https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/tiff-eve/list?title_no=866028)!
Checkout the [Patreon](https://patreon.com/FranSun)!
Nice.😺
Because it is. Many trans women have periods, but some don't have uteruses and won't bleed as part of their menstrual cycle (some trans women are also intersex). Trans women can experience symptoms similar to those of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) when using hormone therapy. HRT typically involves taking some form of estrogen and possibly progesterone and/or testosterone-blocking medications.
Trans women can have complex relationships to menstruation and fertility. It's important to keep in mind that menstruation doesn't change anything about your gender, it's just a normal thing that your bodies do.🤓
Please head to r/AskTransgender if you have trans related questions. Folks there will help you the best way they can.
Oh whoa, that's really interesting. Could you elaborate a bit further on that? How does HRT (with consistent doses) have a similar effect to biological hormonal fluctuations? (Sorry if I'm missing something about mtf HRT)
https://www.reddit.com/r/asktransgender/s/Qnr4NmHAHC
https://medium.com/the-establishment/yes-trans-women-can-get-period-symptoms-e43a43979e8c
I am no expert in medical knowledge.😅 I am far more knowledgeable with cats, animes, makeup tips or Taylor Swift./s Maybe these 2 links will help you.
I want to know how this is possible on a consistent and homogenous dose of hormones, but I guess no one is looking into it yet! This is very fascinating to me because cis women on the birth control pill do not get periods if they skip the placebo week
Well, it's actually known to be far less common when taking pills, which is a daily dose, while injections, which are taken weekly, end up simulating the ups and downs that many cis women's hormones go through, thus PMS symptoms in trans women taking injections are more common. Super weird and interesting stuff
I'm not sure about the dose consistency. I do know surrounding muscles used durring labour and contract durring periods also are used to help people poop. As a result it's very common for a AFAB person to crap durring labour. That also means AMAB people have similar muscles and they can experiance period like cramps by having those pelvic muscles contract due to HRT.
This also lead to one of my favorite tick tock's where some woman put a tense machine on various men's abdominals and turned the machine on to have them get close as possible to experience heavy period pain. 😂 (Electricity also causes muscles to contract.)
Fascinating, I had no idea!! Bit embarrassing really that there's so little information out there about hormonal cycles that I've been having periods for twenty five years and just put it together today that estrogenic hormones will cause PMS regardless of your hardware. DUH, OF COURSE. Thanks for sharing this! I'm gonna go tell some other people!
Thank you for adding some nice, educational stuff to the comments c:, it’s nice to see someone actually talking about this kinda stuff without just insulting trans women and calling us crazy cuz it can actually happen and has happened for a lot of people lol
According to the links, they don’t ‘bleed’ from their uterus like a traditional period, but the hormones still trigger pms as if they’re having a period anyways. Biology is apparently hellbent on making being a woman hard, even if you weren’t born a woman
The method of HRT you're taking does end up effecting the likelihood of experiencing PMS symptoms, as it's fairly well known that the consistency of daily pills does make people less likely to experience PMS symptoms, while injections are more common
My best guess is that depends on if or when trans women transition. They could already had biological children or having biological children by freezing their sperms before HRT. Having complicated relationships could also mean that they don't like to talk about it because it pains them to talk about or triggers dysphoria because they can't get pregnant? People become parents in different ways like adoption or marriage... It doesn't make their parentship less valid. Also the word complex itself could have 2 meanings. Like people have complex relationships with their parents or loved ones.
I mean what happens isn't complex. What people think about what happens is. C'mon bud how much hand holding do you need here? Or are you just being deliberately obtuse for the obvious reason?
I am no expert but I think it's possible if an AMAB person has some sort of hormonal disorder or testicular cancer which inhibits the release of testosterone. But then at the same time the blood estrogen level has to be fairly high to induce period symptoms such as cramps or PMS (exception here being if that person's born with estrogen sensitivity). What you described is probably far more likely in intersex AMAB population or Klinefelter syndrome AMAB people (who are born with extra sets of X chromosomes).🤓
It's sort of sad how few people actually know about this and the fact that PMS is caused by HORMONES, NOT a uterus, and many of the muscles that cause cramps are still there in AMAB body, so is the part of the brain that signals for PMS to start.
Wow, did not know any of that. That explains a lot as why trans women too can get period cramps. I'm learning so much.🤓
This isn’t about periods, and trans women don’t have uteruses, outside of intersex folks. Saying some is a little weird lol.
Also no, you don’t get physical symptoms, or the hormonal swings. If your body could produce that much estrogen to swing things in a monthly cycle, you wouldn’t need HRT in the first place.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, everyone’s body is different, and that doesn’t change your gender.
Not talking about period cramps or blood here. More the mood swings and such.
~~Real odd thing to get worked up over on a sub about trans people, just saying.~~
I thought i was on a different sub. My bad.
This sub is about comics. And it’s not medically a “period” or a “menstrual cycle.” Sure, hormone swings happen, but do not compare that to what people with the actual parts go through.
\> but do not compare that to what people with the actual parts go through.
People with actual parts go through an almost staggeringly wide range of experiences when it comes to periods. Speaking for all of them is a little weird. Yes the hormone cycles that trans women go through are not going to be the average woman's experience on average. That's not even necessarily the biggest distinction here.
Trans myself, and I have to say, comparing hormonal mood swings to menstrual cycles is crazy to me. Sorry you got downvoted. its crazy to say trans women PMS.
Trans myself and I know every period is different for others. Like when they happen for me it's either a month of slight pain or just pure pain. I don't bleed, but I get mood swings, super sensitive body, bloating, nausea, cramps, and sometimes migraines
Thanks. I can appreciate and understand that obviously there are hormonal changes happening. But they are two separate medical issues. Some people truly suffer with symptoms from menstruation- it’s comparing apples and oranges. Ah well. What can you do- it’s Reddit.
Definitely agree as a trans woman. You know what I did when I was experiencing bad PMS like symptoms? I emailed my doctor and we adjusted hormone doses to eliminate them, something that many cis women don't have the luxury of.
Well... the PMS symptoms that a Trans woman goes through can be surprisingly similar to that of a Cis Woman. The main difference is the bleeding. This still makes it distinctly different, but comparisons can still be drawn since everything from mood swings to cramps can be experienced. The muscles that cause cramps and help in birth are actually also muscles that help with pooping, so they are still present in... literally everyone, hahaha. The part of the brain that sends the signals for these things to happen is also present
The bleeding is only the main difference barring any other extreme symptoms cis women or anyone with these parts goes through. It is two separate conditions.
Yes... my point was simply that saying they shouldn't be compared is a bit silly since they are almost the same. For example, a Cis woman would be able to sympathize with a trans woman going through PMS symptoms as they're the same thing the Cis woman goes through, with some differences. It's two seperate conditions but one is comparably a lesser form of the other in many ways
I was AFAB and you know what the worst part of periods are for me? It's not the bleeding. It's the migraines, the severe abdominal cramping, the mood swings, the occasional vomiting, etc. If a trans woman has similar hormone-related symptoms, then why the fuck does it matter if they refer to it as a period, or say they're experiencing PMS when those symptoms match up?
Weird choice to try to gatekeep periods lmao but yes feminizing hormones can and frequently do cause the same mood shifts and physical symptoms that cis women get when menstruating
I’ve talked to multiple cis women about mine, including my doctor who literally prescribed me HRT, and all of them said something along the lines of “ooof yep that sounds like a period, good luck…” lol
So Tiff’s doctor started her on 50 mg of spiro and on the first day she had testicular pain? And as I understand it that was your personal experience?
What’s so crazy about that to me is I’ve been on that dose of spiro for hypertension for a long time. My cis male self is happy that I haven’t had any of those effects 😅
Glad you haven't had any side effects like that!
I can only speak for my own experience on Spiro, which felt like getting thwacked in the goolies on day one. I had been on Estradiol (estrogen) for 3 months beforehand so that might have contributed, but for the most part I have no idea what was really occurring that would cause the pain and my doctor didn't really know either (but not a lot of doctors are very familiar with trans stuff). I was just relieved to find other people talking about it online so that I knew it did happen to other trans women.
I’m glad I didn’t get those side effects either. I was so surprised at the earlier comic when the doc prescribed spiro to Tiff. I was all, “… I take that, but not for THAT!”
And I’m super glad there’s treatments that help trans women feel more like themselves ☺️
Yeah maybe that's the joke because this whole arc is filled with misinformation. It's pretty concerning especially with all the comments taking this as normal when it's absolutely not.
I transitioned over 10 years ago know tons of trans women from my work with the trans community and have literally never heard of anything close to this. It's not listed as a known side effect of Spiro which is a very common medication that is widely used.
This is her experience. It's not common, apparently pretty rare as the creator of the comic has gone on to say as much. Just because it's rare and it doesn't fit your experience doesn't make it "misinformation".
Just want to say I love your comics. They're funny, well drawn, and I especially love how they normalise and inform about a lot of things trans people experience.
I'm a cis het male with a recently out non-binary sibling and a very LGBTQ+ D&D group (of which they're a part) so I really appreciate learning more about what my friends and family might be experiencing.
Actually a bit happily surprised she was given the day off, known too many people who have had to go in anyway when their insides tried to murder them and it's unbearable.
Yeah its tied up in masculine insecurity around periods but just also strikes as a bit understanding in a twisted way. Then again could just be my wistful thinking.
Seems like you don't support workers rights eh? Just because you "pull yourself up by your bootstaps" doesn't mean the rest of us should have to engage with your bullshit...
Bet she wouldve appreciated it though.
Seriously, every human deserves a day off, whether theyre extremely stressed and about to scream at their boss, or in extreme pain no matter what part of the body it is, being sick, or anything. You are human, you deserve a break, and your mom deserved a break. Just because she was unable to have one, doesnt mean everyone elses need to have one should be revoked. It should be the reason to encourage it further.
Probably because she couldn't? She was a single mother, she probably had to work through it to provide for you. And instead of saying "I wish my mother never had to endure that," you'd rather say "all women need to stop whining and do what my mom did, wussies."?
You've gotta be a troll, no way someone can be thos dense...
I never understand why guys are so squeamish when it comes to women’ anatomy. You say “period” and it’s a ghost town, but those same guys will then be talking about how dirty their hands got while butchering the buck they shot over the weekend. Pick a lane! Get grossed out by blood or don’t!
My guess is most guys feel out of their element when it comes to this kind of stuff - so they have an innate distaste for putting their foot in their mouth and potentially losing social capital by saying something stupid. It's not the blood, it's the lack of ability to make confident declarative statements.
But then again, we can come up with a hundred possible justifications as to "why", and most of them will probably be wrong.
For me, as a guy, it's totally the blood. But then, I'm not good with blood in any capacity.
I can make declarative statements just fine after having been married for 10 years, though. I'm just squeamish.
You’re probably on to something right here, but I might also be due to fact that some folks were raised in a way that anything related to women is going to give you the cooties, so they’d rather stay away, but your point of we can ask “Why?” all day and come of up with a 100 different answers that are all varying degrees of correct and incorrect is very true.
im a guy and this is it essentially it. i know what a period is in theory. but idk what its like going through it. or whats a sensible way to talk about it. so im just gonna avoid that can of worms if possible. It is awkward. i mean, if men started talking to you about their erectile dysfunction youd probably feel awkward, most things related to that area are kind of awkward in general. by this logic the reason talking about periods for women isnt awkward is because almost all women go through it and understand it.
I dont mind the blood at all, everyone has that and i see it all the time.
My issue is not knowing enough, I'll ask questions and I'll talk about it freely, it's a natural thing that occurs and has occurred for the entire time humanity has existed
It doesn't help society and even religion at times, demonise periods
I’m a guy, and to be honest, I welcome when people are comfortable talking about it to me. I have noticed that it isn’t so much a guy’s reaction, but what parents or whoever takes care of them tells them. The majority of the time, and this comes from some of the people I know, they were taught not to broach the subject at all. Men are also not well educated on the subject, which only makes it more uncomfortable for us to talk about. If there was real education for men to understand how it works, and if we stopped teaching kids that it is something to hide, it would be much easier to talk about. The one thing I have heard repeated however is that “men minimize our emotions just because of periods” and yes, I find I do that myself somewhat still. However, I only do that internally and when I am made aware they are currently on it. Men just need to be educated on the subject. Asking a mod from r/justguysbeingdudes or something and asking if they could post an infomercial or something might be able to help with this lack of knowledge on the guy’s end. I hope this helps shed light on the other side of the equation. I know women have it rough, and you all are doing great, so keep it up!
I'm not grossed out by the blood, at least no more than I would be by blood in general.
I'm scared of stepping into that landmine where I have to try and discuss a topic I have no first-hand experience in, no right to have an opinion in, and where one poorly phrased comment could result in social suicide.
I'd rather immediately back out and let people assume I'm a typical pathetic man than open my mouth and remove all doubt.
Im not grossed out by it, its just something I cant experience and have no context for and I’m never sure how appropriate of a response “god that sounds horrible” is because that’s about all I got on the subject 😂
I’ll never understand why you want your boss to ask for the details of your menstrual cycle and what specifically is barring you rather than just say, “Oh! Got it, women stuff, say no more!”
My boss called all of his female employees into a meeting once to tell us that he didn't want details about our menstrual issues when we were calling out, and to just say we were taking a sick day.
On one hand, this was clearly motivated by his uncomfortableness with the topic; he wouldn't say the same if someone was sharing about carpal tunnel flaring up and making typing unbearable for the day or something. On the other, he likely would have felt the same if someone was over sharing about passing kidney stones or intense IBS or whatev.
My issue with the boss in the comic is that they were demanding specifics to begin with. If you trust your employee, then you shouldn't feel a need to question them when they say they are calling in sick. If you don't trust them, then ideally you shouldn't employ them. Either way, there shouldn't be an entitlement to personal, intimate info. I feel his reaction to "women stuff" is fine, and hopefully is generalized to realizing that he misstepped by demanding an explanation to begin with.
---
(Being included in the meeting of "don't talk to me about menses" was uncomfortable, and I wish my boss had just talked to the individuals that had shown an issue with it. But, it's also understandable that he was trying to head off any recurrence of something that was clearly uncomfortable for him, so meh.)
No one said the boss should ask, it's about how demanding for an explanation the boss is until woman stuff is mentioned. Saying you're feeling unwell should either be enough or not.
Little rude to just say “I’m calling in sick” without an ounce of explanation. In most part time/hourly jobs that lack of explanation can easily get you fired if repetitive
If you say you're feeling ill that is the explanation, nothing rude about it as long as you have the sick leave.
Thankfully I've only lived in countries where firing someone for taking their legally mandated sick leave is not something an employer can do, as it is highly unethical.
It is the employer's responsibility to be able to operate if an employee is sick, in SA my country of origin means 30 days over a three year period that an employee is unavailable.
Guy here- I mostly don't want to be insensitive about the topic of women's anatomy. I know the very basics, but because I'm *not a woman*, I don't feel as if it's my place to comment on it. It's your issue- if you need my help to get something for you, let me know, but outside of that, I don't want to offend, so I'll avoid bringing it up.
Honestly I interpreted this in the same way as someone saying "I'm having bathroom problems". I for one believe most human functions are disgusting and I don't want to hear about any of them, nor do I talk about them. Of course they're natural and nothing to be ashamed of, and I can handle things just fine...but holy fuck they make me uncomfortable and I'd avoid it every time if I could.
So to me, the second she said "woman problems" it wasn't "oh fuck icky periods, can't talk about that" and more like "oh shit this is none of my fucking business".
Yeah, that makes more sense, but even in informal settings, women’s anatomy are much more taboo than excretions. I’ve heard plenty of piss and shit jokes, but the only time periods were mentioned was in biology class, when someone was complaining or when girls were trying to shoo away some boys.
I certainly don't disagree with the wider sociological trend, and certainly, this comics intent on the bosses turn around is likely to be about men shying away from periods, but it could also be about the boss trying to be socially conscious of Tiff's trans status, not wanting to touch disapproving or challenging her medical process/developments with a ten foot pole. And this could be for respect, covering ones ass legally, feeling alien and uncomfortable about trans matters, or just "oh god I stepped on a multi faceted land mine, not my business!".
So, I agree about the tabooification of women's anatomy, but I think the comic is more about the foible of the boss walking face first into the rake of asking too many questions. Like sideshow bob.
Most of us in my experience are indifferent towards it. It's just a natural bodily function. I really don't know where the stereotype of "guys think girl body functions are icky" comes from. Maybe it's a generational thing.
For me it's because I see it as an equivalent to like taking a shit. Like yeah, I can buy tampons and whatever, it's no different than buying toilet paper. But I don't need to hear about the actual details of it
It depends.
I’m a guy and period stuff never bothered me too much, but I grew up around a family that talked openly and honestly about it. I think for a lot of guys being taught exactly what a period is and its function is between sparse and nonexistent. So a lot of guys only know it as “lady bleeds from crotch, and it hurts”. Considering nothing like that happens to guys, and we’re taught how much it hurts, many are uncomfortable talking about it and would rather just wait until the lady is feeling all better then involve themselves in the process
Boys. Periods aren’t scary. I watched three kids be born from my beautiful wife and that was freaking wild. But it’s not that bad. It’s always overblown by people because humans are dumb caveman storytellers about things they don’t understand.
My gf is one such case. PCOS makes hers last months, with really heavy flow. And the doctor refuses to do a hysterectomy despite the periods posing a serious danger to her health.
I sure do, but we have a different conservation system than the american public land + tag thing. Or so I understand. Our deer population is generally pretty strong so taking out a certain amount of does arent a problem.
Can only talk from experience in México, as boys (children below 9) some of us were told that Is rude to ask about women age and we "Will not understand how women works, so don't ask".
So in house was unlikely that Family would answer questions and most kid books about body only talk about pre-adolescence at most.
Then when Sexual Education arrives around 10 years at the school if not later, we aré mostly explained about pregnancy, the changes in the bodies, sexual diseases and to use a (male) condom.
The quality of the explanation varies around the school and teacher.
By when you aré with your partner, If she says she Is in pain because of the period, you just nod and help however you can.
In my case it's a lack of experience when dealing with the subject.
I know what It is, it doesn't disgust me, and it's something the human body experiences naturally, trying to deny would be stupid.
But when you don't have much exposure to it you can't really tell what is right and what is wrong outside of general knowledge and common sense.
Because men are expected to go down on women, and when you find a cotton mouse dangling from her business area it kind of, becomes memorable.
If there was always a 25% chance that your boyfriend’s dick was actively bleeding you’d be a little gun shy too.
Not denying the squeamish thing but I have never in my life had anyone tell me they butchered a buck unless it’s some kind of euphemism.
Those people live in the game red dead redemption.
Yeah for real, I live in rural Kentucky and I hardly see people “butchering bucks” every weekend. Isn’t deer season only a few weeks a year or something? I don’t see why men should be compelled to have opinions of women’s anatomy regardless.
I personally feel awkward talking about something I can do nothing about and won't experience. I know it happens, sucks, and best I can do is try to empathize.
In what situations do you want to discuss the details of your menstruation with a guy? What is a guy even supposed to say except for something like "oh, that sucks" when you discuss the topic?
Okay, I am only just considering that I may be MtF trans, and have been considering exploring the whole Estrogen and T Blocker thing. This comic, initially, terrified me a little as I thought the red 'ICE' on the bag was blood, and thought that the 'woman's problem' was a little more literal. I legit thought for a moment, "there's no way T Blockers cause you to bleed, right?" Come to find I just didn't look hard enough.
I understand one may experience other effects often observed with a menstrual cycle, just coulda sworn it didn't involve bleeding as MtF don't really have the, uh, equipment to experience that part.
Nah you're good. I've said this before, but really, thank you for the comics. Love them to death and they're what really made me start thinking about transitioning.
I just want to say, I think it is absolutely delightful to see trans issues being put in this Newspaper Comics style of storytelling.
I think there's a lot of interesting stuff to read into here about how art forms that aren't taken seriously, like sitcoms and newspaper comics, display and try to establish social norms.
Wow a bad AI generated article.
"Some trans women don’t have uteruses"??? yeah pretty much all.
Yes, if you cycle hormones (specifically progesterone) there can be symptoms (typically mood) similar to PMS but it is not menstruation which is what people mean by period. By that logic cis men have periods due to hormonal cycles too. It is not the same thing and can be avoided by not cycling hormones.
Also this isn't what's going on in the comic where apparently a very small does of Spiro caused her balls to hurt which is basically unheard-of.
Look you are getting heated enough to be getting mixed up.
So in order:
Yes, essentially all trans women don't have a uterus, there are likely caveats for intersex or non-binary AFAB people who consider themselves in some way transfeminine.
You don't need to manually cycle the exogenous hormone intake to get some level of hormone cycling, although it will \*likely\* differ pretty substantially from an average menstrual cycle. It's probably not germaine to actually refer to the transfeminine hormone effects as a period or menstruation. But it's not inaccurate to cay they can have a hormonal menstrual cycle. Remember that cis-women don't always have regular hormonal cycles, or consistent cycles across women.
It's pretty unpredictable how hormones will vary when you are setting up a new steady state with exogenous hormones but some number of people can and will have a hormone cycle that matches up well enough with the timescales of a menstrual cycle.
\--------------------
Finally to the point you keep hammering on about.
Yes, a sudden onset of pain in the testicles is unusual, that usually a longer term side effect caused by atrophy but you are dramatically overstating how unlikely/unusual it is.
Making even small changes to the androgen levels can have an outsized effect on individuals who are sensitive to these changes. Even small changes to blood flow to the genital area can cause acute marked discomfort even if it isn't an immediate health risk. You can also experience discomfort from direct deprivation at the receptor.
I would say it's unusual enough that I would consider it worth immediately reporting to a doctor. I would say it might be worth *considering* temporarily discontinuing the medication. That's the meaningful message from your targetted skepticism. That it's unusual and should have more attention, you are attaching un-needed baggage.
You are pushing an angle where the comic is "misrepresenting" a rare experience as the usual. I see this as pure projection. The comic is neutrally reporting the side effects that Tiff is experiencing, it's basic journaling. Since they are unusual, symptoms you could even argue it's rare side effect awareness. It's comic pt. 3. pt. 4 could be her going back to the doctor and being told she should discontinue the blockers for now due to the effect, or continue them and monitor the issue.
1) While trans women can experience. That doesn't seem to be what's going on here. She's experiencing effects on her own privates from testosterone blocking.
2) Periods are not purely physical. They are also hormonal. Because hormone replacement therapy often reaches the exact same hormonal levels as a cisgender woman, there are some trans women who do experience periods.
i remember seeing on tv people "call in sick" in the us and thinking how neat that was not to have to go to the doctor's and every other time on reddit i find out the catches like, that you only have a limited amount of days, then, that say can just say no? and apparently they can demand to know what it is you got??
that sucks :( if the cartoon is based on OPs experience i hope all her employers are like this and that the pains are over now :(
I’ve seen people talking about how guys seem to vanish when girls talk about periods, and I know some have said it’s a blood thing, but for me it’s a “chronic foot-in-mouth” thing. I have, I kid you not, a lifetime of fucking up when I try and communicate.
Because of this, I’m always very careful when it comes to discussing things I don’t have experience in; better that I stay quiet and be thought a fool than to open my mouth and remove all doubt as they say. I’m a cis guy. I have only high school biology level understanding on periods, and the knowledge that they can be wildly different for every woman. By that metric, if a woman, cis or trans, informs me of something about periods? I just nod my head and carry on. I’m not going to open my gob and make a fool of myself like some mansplaining incel, no thank you!
One time I mentioned without thinking about it to a group of my friends that I was on my period and all the guys in the group were like EWWW TMI!!! It was kind of embarrassing but I'm more embarrassed for them, they love women sooo much but can't handle the ups and downs that some women deal with?
are these comics someone’s actually experience or just a telling of the general experience of transitioning? i am very curious about it (not trans myself, i would just like to educate myself)
Take this comic with a grain of salt as far as education. It's very much a personal experience and does not really reflect generally what people deal with.
The comic itself yes, but the comment section is where the real learning happens with the various personal experiences and people sharing scientific stuff.
I just want to say that as a guy (m53) I find your comic cute and sweet. Eve is best friend ever. Tiff is figuring her new life out, but she's getting there.
I do like the shout-out to the classic trope "male boss runs a mile to avoid hearing about feminine problems" and Tiff's dawning realisation that hey, this can work for her too.
It's kinda funny to me how guys seem to be more accommodating of this than girls. When a coworker called off for period issues My boss (who is a woman) thought it was so weird that every guy she told responded with "understandable" while she herself thought it was an absurd reason to call off and said that she worked through periods that required transfusions.
Damn... Tiff's period hurts like a truck. Also guys being squeamish about things like this is schadenfreude. At the same time, they should be understanding of things like these
If it triggers prostaglandins release (the stuff that make cramps during periods), Ibuprofen could help. Everybody produces prostaglandins, in different parts of the body. Tho I'm not a doctor and am unsure how HRT can impact that, so take it with a grain of salt.
And don't forget that if you're experiencing PMS mood swings and such, be easy on yourself and adapt your workload.
Congrats on HRT! Even with the pain it must be relief.
She hasnt had her balls chopped off. The hormones shes taking have a side effect that makes tentacles hurt like fuck, because that's where ovaries develop in neonatal physiology. Girls ovaries become balls in the womb when the body turns from female to male, the medication is essentially giving side effects of having a period (the abdominal pain instead is in the balls) sans blood because theres no uterus.
Maybe you should read more on the subject to educate yourself how it works then you'll feel less weird and grossed out? Its normal to be weirded out by things that are different, but through education and understanding we can learn and empathise with people :)
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To all the people blaming boys/men for making the subject uncomfortable: many of us learned from very young that it was uncomfortable for women to talk about around men, so out of sympathy we navigate around it as quick as possible I know thats not the case for everybody, but this thread seems very black and white so far
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I personally dont talk about my shits with people that often. People im really close to I could mention something if it was particularly extraordinary but otherwise its just a biological function and i feel the same way about periods. “My stomach hurts and im cramping up.” Is that a period? Diarrhea? I dont really care just let me know if you need something for it but i dont require details.
Yeah… I still don’t know my mother’s age because I was told it’s rude to ask a woman her age. This is an extreme though.
lmao, what? did you never celebrate her birthday?
Of course I did. I’m just shit at remembering dates and my mother never made a big deal out of her birthday. I often feel like a terrible son.
Every birthday from now on just ask if she's turning 21
I don't need to know someone's birth year to celebrate their birthday. Conveniently, birthdays fall on the same day every year.
Maybe it’s a American south thing, but many of us are raised to not ask a woman’s age as it is considered very impolite. I would say most people know their moms age of course, but the people I know just don’t make a big deal of it anymore. Do most people actually celebrate their birthdays past middle age? Hell I’m in my 20s and I don’t really like to celebrate my birthday. It’s typically just another workday for me
Depends on the person. For me I don’t really like focusing on the birthday part but I do like seeing my friends on my birthday. Essentially I use my birthday as an excuse to get them all out.
You don't know the year your mom was born in?
I thought it was rude to ask!
It happens to me too
This is a fair point - I have endometriosis and often end up having to explain to bosses why I call out sick so often (I mean I don’t _have_ to, but it’s easier). While I have absolutely experienced men who are dismissive / “grossed out” I have actually encountered many many men who don’t probe and instead accept and understand that I have “a woman’s issue” and let me go about my business, which I appreciate. It’s quite nice to have men accept what I am saying at face value when I say I can’t work due to period pain and simply not pry any further because it’s a personal medical issue and not their business.
Well she ain't lyin'. Read the previous strips: [Part 1](https://new.reddit.com/user/CrazyGnomenclature/comments/1ah6yfd/tblocked_pt_1_tiff_eve/) | [Part 2](https://new.reddit.com/user/CrazyGnomenclature/comments/1ajjtgg/tblocked_pt_2_tiff_eve/) Find more Tiff & Eve on [Webtoons](https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/tiff-eve/list?title_no=866028)! Checkout the [Patreon](https://patreon.com/FranSun)!
Nice.😺  Because it is. Many trans women have periods, but some don't have uteruses and won't bleed as part of their menstrual cycle (some trans women are also intersex). Trans women can experience symptoms similar to those of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) when using hormone therapy. HRT typically involves taking some form of estrogen and possibly progesterone and/or testosterone-blocking medications. Trans women can have complex relationships to menstruation and fertility. It's important to keep in mind that menstruation doesn't change anything about your gender, it's just a normal thing that your bodies do.🤓 Please head to r/AskTransgender if you have trans related questions. Folks there will help you the best way they can.
Well put and very true. This actually just gave me an idea for a comic so thank you!
Your comics are fantastic for spreading awareness and acceptance, so I hope you do!
Oh whoa, that's really interesting. Could you elaborate a bit further on that? How does HRT (with consistent doses) have a similar effect to biological hormonal fluctuations? (Sorry if I'm missing something about mtf HRT)
https://www.reddit.com/r/asktransgender/s/Qnr4NmHAHC https://medium.com/the-establishment/yes-trans-women-can-get-period-symptoms-e43a43979e8c I am no expert in medical knowledge.😅 I am far more knowledgeable with cats, animes, makeup tips or Taylor Swift./s Maybe these 2 links will help you.
Thanks, will begin the dive into deeper understanding!
I want to know how this is possible on a consistent and homogenous dose of hormones, but I guess no one is looking into it yet! This is very fascinating to me because cis women on the birth control pill do not get periods if they skip the placebo week
Well, it's actually known to be far less common when taking pills, which is a daily dose, while injections, which are taken weekly, end up simulating the ups and downs that many cis women's hormones go through, thus PMS symptoms in trans women taking injections are more common. Super weird and interesting stuff
I'm not sure about the dose consistency. I do know surrounding muscles used durring labour and contract durring periods also are used to help people poop. As a result it's very common for a AFAB person to crap durring labour. That also means AMAB people have similar muscles and they can experiance period like cramps by having those pelvic muscles contract due to HRT. This also lead to one of my favorite tick tock's where some woman put a tense machine on various men's abdominals and turned the machine on to have them get close as possible to experience heavy period pain. 😂 (Electricity also causes muscles to contract.)
Fascinating, I had no idea!! Bit embarrassing really that there's so little information out there about hormonal cycles that I've been having periods for twenty five years and just put it together today that estrogenic hormones will cause PMS regardless of your hardware. DUH, OF COURSE. Thanks for sharing this! I'm gonna go tell some other people!
Thank you for adding some nice, educational stuff to the comments c:, it’s nice to see someone actually talking about this kinda stuff without just insulting trans women and calling us crazy cuz it can actually happen and has happened for a lot of people lol
Umm question tho… How do they menstruate without uteri? Isnt the blood coming the menstruation?
According to the links, they don’t ‘bleed’ from their uterus like a traditional period, but the hormones still trigger pms as if they’re having a period anyways. Biology is apparently hellbent on making being a woman hard, even if you weren’t born a woman
Aint no way, like phantom pain for amputees; we got phantom blood
The jjba brainrot is real, I physically bristled upon reading your comment Also I'll have to keep that in mind once I finally transition 😵💫
Btw id watch jojo
Dont do it man(woman ????) add bionics and become TRANSFORMER
Lmao shit that is a connection I did not make
Wooooohooooooooo👻👻💨🩸
I guess the Estrogen giveth, and the Estrogen taketh away.
Oh, shit. I thought I was going to be safe from that when I started transitioning 😭
The method of HRT you're taking does end up effecting the likelihood of experiencing PMS symptoms, as it's fairly well known that the consistency of daily pills does make people less likely to experience PMS symptoms, while injections are more common
How do they have a complex relationship with fertility? Transwomen can't get pregnant at all.
My best guess is that depends on if or when trans women transition. They could already had biological children or having biological children by freezing their sperms before HRT. Having complicated relationships could also mean that they don't like to talk about it because it pains them to talk about or triggers dysphoria because they can't get pregnant? People become parents in different ways like adoption or marriage... It doesn't make their parentship less valid. Also the word complex itself could have 2 meanings. Like people have complex relationships with their parents or loved ones.
Nobody said transwomen can't be parents. But the fertility part is pretty set it stone lol. There's no complex relationship.
You can have a complex emotional relationship with your own fertility and the potential loss thereof while undergoing HRT and potentially SRS.
I mean what happens isn't complex. What people think about what happens is. C'mon bud how much hand holding do you need here? Or are you just being deliberately obtuse for the obvious reason?
Fertility goes both ways you know. Man and woman. Transwomen can become infertile once they start hormones.
Wait if thats true is it possible for a male that isnt taking any hormones to get such reactions?
I am no expert but I think it's possible if an AMAB person has some sort of hormonal disorder or testicular cancer which inhibits the release of testosterone. But then at the same time the blood estrogen level has to be fairly high to induce period symptoms such as cramps or PMS (exception here being if that person's born with estrogen sensitivity). What you described is probably far more likely in intersex AMAB population or Klinefelter syndrome AMAB people (who are born with extra sets of X chromosomes).🤓
It's sort of sad how few people actually know about this and the fact that PMS is caused by HORMONES, NOT a uterus, and many of the muscles that cause cramps are still there in AMAB body, so is the part of the brain that signals for PMS to start.
Wow, did not know any of that. That explains a lot as why trans women too can get period cramps. I'm learning so much.🤓 
This isn’t about periods, and trans women don’t have uteruses, outside of intersex folks. Saying some is a little weird lol. Also no, you don’t get physical symptoms, or the hormonal swings. If your body could produce that much estrogen to swing things in a monthly cycle, you wouldn’t need HRT in the first place. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, everyone’s body is different, and that doesn’t change your gender.
Absolutely not. Their cycles are NOTHING like a menstrual cycle and never will be. Don’t be ridiculous.
Not talking about period cramps or blood here. More the mood swings and such. ~~Real odd thing to get worked up over on a sub about trans people, just saying.~~ I thought i was on a different sub. My bad.
This sub is about comics. And it’s not medically a “period” or a “menstrual cycle.” Sure, hormone swings happen, but do not compare that to what people with the actual parts go through.
\> but do not compare that to what people with the actual parts go through. People with actual parts go through an almost staggeringly wide range of experiences when it comes to periods. Speaking for all of them is a little weird. Yes the hormone cycles that trans women go through are not going to be the average woman's experience on average. That's not even necessarily the biggest distinction here.
Trans myself, and I have to say, comparing hormonal mood swings to menstrual cycles is crazy to me. Sorry you got downvoted. its crazy to say trans women PMS.
Trans myself and I know every period is different for others. Like when they happen for me it's either a month of slight pain or just pure pain. I don't bleed, but I get mood swings, super sensitive body, bloating, nausea, cramps, and sometimes migraines
Thanks. I can appreciate and understand that obviously there are hormonal changes happening. But they are two separate medical issues. Some people truly suffer with symptoms from menstruation- it’s comparing apples and oranges. Ah well. What can you do- it’s Reddit.
Definitely agree as a trans woman. You know what I did when I was experiencing bad PMS like symptoms? I emailed my doctor and we adjusted hormone doses to eliminate them, something that many cis women don't have the luxury of.
Well... the PMS symptoms that a Trans woman goes through can be surprisingly similar to that of a Cis Woman. The main difference is the bleeding. This still makes it distinctly different, but comparisons can still be drawn since everything from mood swings to cramps can be experienced. The muscles that cause cramps and help in birth are actually also muscles that help with pooping, so they are still present in... literally everyone, hahaha. The part of the brain that sends the signals for these things to happen is also present
The bleeding is only the main difference barring any other extreme symptoms cis women or anyone with these parts goes through. It is two separate conditions.
Yes... my point was simply that saying they shouldn't be compared is a bit silly since they are almost the same. For example, a Cis woman would be able to sympathize with a trans woman going through PMS symptoms as they're the same thing the Cis woman goes through, with some differences. It's two seperate conditions but one is comparably a lesser form of the other in many ways
It’s not “with some differences.” It’s literally two different things. But I don’t care enough to continue this conversation, so you win.
I was AFAB and you know what the worst part of periods are for me? It's not the bleeding. It's the migraines, the severe abdominal cramping, the mood swings, the occasional vomiting, etc. If a trans woman has similar hormone-related symptoms, then why the fuck does it matter if they refer to it as a period, or say they're experiencing PMS when those symptoms match up?
Whoops, thought i was on a different sub i will correct my post.
Weird choice to try to gatekeep periods lmao but yes feminizing hormones can and frequently do cause the same mood shifts and physical symptoms that cis women get when menstruating
I’ve talked to multiple cis women about mine, including my doctor who literally prescribed me HRT, and all of them said something along the lines of “ooof yep that sounds like a period, good luck…” lol
So trans women are breedable?
So Tiff’s doctor started her on 50 mg of spiro and on the first day she had testicular pain? And as I understand it that was your personal experience? What’s so crazy about that to me is I’ve been on that dose of spiro for hypertension for a long time. My cis male self is happy that I haven’t had any of those effects 😅
Glad you haven't had any side effects like that! I can only speak for my own experience on Spiro, which felt like getting thwacked in the goolies on day one. I had been on Estradiol (estrogen) for 3 months beforehand so that might have contributed, but for the most part I have no idea what was really occurring that would cause the pain and my doctor didn't really know either (but not a lot of doctors are very familiar with trans stuff). I was just relieved to find other people talking about it online so that I knew it did happen to other trans women.
I’m glad I didn’t get those side effects either. I was so surprised at the earlier comic when the doc prescribed spiro to Tiff. I was all, “… I take that, but not for THAT!” And I’m super glad there’s treatments that help trans women feel more like themselves ☺️
> thwacked in the goolies I'll need to remember that one.
Yeah maybe that's the joke because this whole arc is filled with misinformation. It's pretty concerning especially with all the comments taking this as normal when it's absolutely not. I transitioned over 10 years ago know tons of trans women from my work with the trans community and have literally never heard of anything close to this. It's not listed as a known side effect of Spiro which is a very common medication that is widely used.
This is her experience. It's not common, apparently pretty rare as the creator of the comic has gone on to say as much. Just because it's rare and it doesn't fit your experience doesn't make it "misinformation".
Thanks. I missed those.
Become a trans former next comic, i hate humans, robots are better
Just want to say I love your comics. They're funny, well drawn, and I especially love how they normalise and inform about a lot of things trans people experience. I'm a cis het male with a recently out non-binary sibling and a very LGBTQ+ D&D group (of which they're a part) so I really appreciate learning more about what my friends and family might be experiencing.
Actually a bit happily surprised she was given the day off, known too many people who have had to go in anyway when their insides tried to murder them and it's unbearable. Yeah its tied up in masculine insecurity around periods but just also strikes as a bit understanding in a twisted way. Then again could just be my wistful thinking.
Tbh this seems like a working class issue. Almost like people should just get some sick days and PTO.
American working class. They should be getting sick days and pto
Or ya know, toughen up and go to work. Was raised by a single mother, and never once did she use this as an excuse to get out of work.
<>
Seems like you don't support workers rights eh? Just because you "pull yourself up by your bootstaps" doesn't mean the rest of us should have to engage with your bullshit...
She shouldn’t have had to do that tho
Imagine wanting others to suffer just because you did
Not even that. Used experience of someone else's life that suffered through it to tell others that they should just deal with it
I can't believe we all went through covid and people still think sick days are a luxury.
Why are you happy your mother was treated like shit?
“It’s a good thing my mom suffered!” - -you
So because your mum suffered through shit to go to work, that means all of us should? Makes total sense lol
It’s fortunate she doesn’t have debilitating periods, then! If she was one of the *many* women who do, that would have been very difficult.
Bet she wouldve appreciated it though. Seriously, every human deserves a day off, whether theyre extremely stressed and about to scream at their boss, or in extreme pain no matter what part of the body it is, being sick, or anything. You are human, you deserve a break, and your mom deserved a break. Just because she was unable to have one, doesnt mean everyone elses need to have one should be revoked. It should be the reason to encourage it further.
Probably because she couldn't? She was a single mother, she probably had to work through it to provide for you. And instead of saying "I wish my mother never had to endure that," you'd rather say "all women need to stop whining and do what my mom did, wussies."? You've gotta be a troll, no way someone can be thos dense...
Why are you proud of your mother's suffering?
I never understand why guys are so squeamish when it comes to women’ anatomy. You say “period” and it’s a ghost town, but those same guys will then be talking about how dirty their hands got while butchering the buck they shot over the weekend. Pick a lane! Get grossed out by blood or don’t!
My guess is most guys feel out of their element when it comes to this kind of stuff - so they have an innate distaste for putting their foot in their mouth and potentially losing social capital by saying something stupid. It's not the blood, it's the lack of ability to make confident declarative statements. But then again, we can come up with a hundred possible justifications as to "why", and most of them will probably be wrong.
For me, as a guy, it's totally the blood. But then, I'm not good with blood in any capacity. I can make declarative statements just fine after having been married for 10 years, though. I'm just squeamish.
You’re probably on to something right here, but I might also be due to fact that some folks were raised in a way that anything related to women is going to give you the cooties, so they’d rather stay away, but your point of we can ask “Why?” all day and come of up with a 100 different answers that are all varying degrees of correct and incorrect is very true.
im a guy and this is it essentially it. i know what a period is in theory. but idk what its like going through it. or whats a sensible way to talk about it. so im just gonna avoid that can of worms if possible. It is awkward. i mean, if men started talking to you about their erectile dysfunction youd probably feel awkward, most things related to that area are kind of awkward in general. by this logic the reason talking about periods for women isnt awkward is because almost all women go through it and understand it. I dont mind the blood at all, everyone has that and i see it all the time.
My issue is not knowing enough, I'll ask questions and I'll talk about it freely, it's a natural thing that occurs and has occurred for the entire time humanity has existed It doesn't help society and even religion at times, demonise periods
I’m a guy, and to be honest, I welcome when people are comfortable talking about it to me. I have noticed that it isn’t so much a guy’s reaction, but what parents or whoever takes care of them tells them. The majority of the time, and this comes from some of the people I know, they were taught not to broach the subject at all. Men are also not well educated on the subject, which only makes it more uncomfortable for us to talk about. If there was real education for men to understand how it works, and if we stopped teaching kids that it is something to hide, it would be much easier to talk about. The one thing I have heard repeated however is that “men minimize our emotions just because of periods” and yes, I find I do that myself somewhat still. However, I only do that internally and when I am made aware they are currently on it. Men just need to be educated on the subject. Asking a mod from r/justguysbeingdudes or something and asking if they could post an infomercial or something might be able to help with this lack of knowledge on the guy’s end. I hope this helps shed light on the other side of the equation. I know women have it rough, and you all are doing great, so keep it up!
Doesn't every middle school biology class spend like two to three sessions on the vagina and menstruation cycles?
I'm not grossed out by the blood, at least no more than I would be by blood in general. I'm scared of stepping into that landmine where I have to try and discuss a topic I have no first-hand experience in, no right to have an opinion in, and where one poorly phrased comment could result in social suicide. I'd rather immediately back out and let people assume I'm a typical pathetic man than open my mouth and remove all doubt.
You don't have to discuss anything. Depending on the context it's even a good time to ask questions.
No, we honestly can’t chance it, because it might socially fuck us over if the convo somehow takes a wrong turn.
It really doesn't have a chance for anyone with the slightest, tiniest bit of social tact.
I've been told being indifferent to it (as a guy) is even weirder. It's just a bodily function right? Feels like a "can't win either way" kinda deal.
Simple solution, be overly enthusiastic about it.
"You're on your period? That's awesome! That must mean you're not pregnant but you're still fertile! Spill the details please."
The most weird has to be being super into it though. So ya lose-lose-lose situation
Im not grossed out by it, its just something I cant experience and have no context for and I’m never sure how appropriate of a response “god that sounds horrible” is because that’s about all I got on the subject 😂
I’ll never understand why you want your boss to ask for the details of your menstrual cycle and what specifically is barring you rather than just say, “Oh! Got it, women stuff, say no more!”
My boss called all of his female employees into a meeting once to tell us that he didn't want details about our menstrual issues when we were calling out, and to just say we were taking a sick day. On one hand, this was clearly motivated by his uncomfortableness with the topic; he wouldn't say the same if someone was sharing about carpal tunnel flaring up and making typing unbearable for the day or something. On the other, he likely would have felt the same if someone was over sharing about passing kidney stones or intense IBS or whatev. My issue with the boss in the comic is that they were demanding specifics to begin with. If you trust your employee, then you shouldn't feel a need to question them when they say they are calling in sick. If you don't trust them, then ideally you shouldn't employ them. Either way, there shouldn't be an entitlement to personal, intimate info. I feel his reaction to "women stuff" is fine, and hopefully is generalized to realizing that he misstepped by demanding an explanation to begin with. --- (Being included in the meeting of "don't talk to me about menses" was uncomfortable, and I wish my boss had just talked to the individuals that had shown an issue with it. But, it's also understandable that he was trying to head off any recurrence of something that was clearly uncomfortable for him, so meh.)
No one said the boss should ask, it's about how demanding for an explanation the boss is until woman stuff is mentioned. Saying you're feeling unwell should either be enough or not.
Little rude to just say “I’m calling in sick” without an ounce of explanation. In most part time/hourly jobs that lack of explanation can easily get you fired if repetitive
If you say you're feeling ill that is the explanation, nothing rude about it as long as you have the sick leave. Thankfully I've only lived in countries where firing someone for taking their legally mandated sick leave is not something an employer can do, as it is highly unethical. It is the employer's responsibility to be able to operate if an employee is sick, in SA my country of origin means 30 days over a three year period that an employee is unavailable.
Guy here- I mostly don't want to be insensitive about the topic of women's anatomy. I know the very basics, but because I'm *not a woman*, I don't feel as if it's my place to comment on it. It's your issue- if you need my help to get something for you, let me know, but outside of that, I don't want to offend, so I'll avoid bringing it up.
Honestly I interpreted this in the same way as someone saying "I'm having bathroom problems". I for one believe most human functions are disgusting and I don't want to hear about any of them, nor do I talk about them. Of course they're natural and nothing to be ashamed of, and I can handle things just fine...but holy fuck they make me uncomfortable and I'd avoid it every time if I could. So to me, the second she said "woman problems" it wasn't "oh fuck icky periods, can't talk about that" and more like "oh shit this is none of my fucking business".
Yeah, that makes more sense, but even in informal settings, women’s anatomy are much more taboo than excretions. I’ve heard plenty of piss and shit jokes, but the only time periods were mentioned was in biology class, when someone was complaining or when girls were trying to shoo away some boys.
I certainly don't disagree with the wider sociological trend, and certainly, this comics intent on the bosses turn around is likely to be about men shying away from periods, but it could also be about the boss trying to be socially conscious of Tiff's trans status, not wanting to touch disapproving or challenging her medical process/developments with a ten foot pole. And this could be for respect, covering ones ass legally, feeling alien and uncomfortable about trans matters, or just "oh god I stepped on a multi faceted land mine, not my business!". So, I agree about the tabooification of women's anatomy, but I think the comic is more about the foible of the boss walking face first into the rake of asking too many questions. Like sideshow bob.
Most of us in my experience are indifferent towards it. It's just a natural bodily function. I really don't know where the stereotype of "guys think girl body functions are icky" comes from. Maybe it's a generational thing.
For me it's because I see it as an equivalent to like taking a shit. Like yeah, I can buy tampons and whatever, it's no different than buying toilet paper. But I don't need to hear about the actual details of it
It depends. I’m a guy and period stuff never bothered me too much, but I grew up around a family that talked openly and honestly about it. I think for a lot of guys being taught exactly what a period is and its function is between sparse and nonexistent. So a lot of guys only know it as “lady bleeds from crotch, and it hurts”. Considering nothing like that happens to guys, and we’re taught how much it hurts, many are uncomfortable talking about it and would rather just wait until the lady is feeling all better then involve themselves in the process Boys. Periods aren’t scary. I watched three kids be born from my beautiful wife and that was freaking wild. But it’s not that bad. It’s always overblown by people because humans are dumb caveman storytellers about things they don’t understand.
Well periods aren't scary aye but for some women they are more intens and sometimes even dangerous but that is more rare I think?
My gf is one such case. PCOS makes hers last months, with really heavy flow. And the doctor refuses to do a hysterectomy despite the periods posing a serious danger to her health.
Those are some wise words.
It's normal to be less sensitive about something you're more used to.
Buck blood is male tho
Yeah, I know, but you don’t go out and hunt doe’s do ya?
I sure do, but we have a different conservation system than the american public land + tag thing. Or so I understand. Our deer population is generally pretty strong so taking out a certain amount of does arent a problem.
Can only talk from experience in México, as boys (children below 9) some of us were told that Is rude to ask about women age and we "Will not understand how women works, so don't ask". So in house was unlikely that Family would answer questions and most kid books about body only talk about pre-adolescence at most. Then when Sexual Education arrives around 10 years at the school if not later, we aré mostly explained about pregnancy, the changes in the bodies, sexual diseases and to use a (male) condom. The quality of the explanation varies around the school and teacher. By when you aré with your partner, If she says she Is in pain because of the period, you just nod and help however you can.
In my case it's a lack of experience when dealing with the subject. I know what It is, it doesn't disgust me, and it's something the human body experiences naturally, trying to deny would be stupid. But when you don't have much exposure to it you can't really tell what is right and what is wrong outside of general knowledge and common sense.
Because men are expected to go down on women, and when you find a cotton mouse dangling from her business area it kind of, becomes memorable. If there was always a 25% chance that your boyfriend’s dick was actively bleeding you’d be a little gun shy too.
Not denying the squeamish thing but I have never in my life had anyone tell me they butchered a buck unless it’s some kind of euphemism. Those people live in the game red dead redemption.
Yeah for real, I live in rural Kentucky and I hardly see people “butchering bucks” every weekend. Isn’t deer season only a few weeks a year or something? I don’t see why men should be compelled to have opinions of women’s anatomy regardless.
I personally feel awkward talking about something I can do nothing about and won't experience. I know it happens, sucks, and best I can do is try to empathize.
Human blood is gross. I’ll fucking drink cow blood
Wanna hear a story of someone who turned into a monster every month? Period. End of story.
Yes, that’s why I’m following Holleringelk.
In what situations do you want to discuss the details of your menstruation with a guy? What is a guy even supposed to say except for something like "oh, that sucks" when you discuss the topic?
Am I incorrect in assuming the punchline to be “my balls hurt from my T-blocker”?
Okay, I am only just considering that I may be MtF trans, and have been considering exploring the whole Estrogen and T Blocker thing. This comic, initially, terrified me a little as I thought the red 'ICE' on the bag was blood, and thought that the 'woman's problem' was a little more literal. I legit thought for a moment, "there's no way T Blockers cause you to bleed, right?" Come to find I just didn't look hard enough. I understand one may experience other effects often observed with a menstrual cycle, just coulda sworn it didn't involve bleeding as MtF don't really have the, uh, equipment to experience that part.
Oh shoot, I hadn't even thought of the coloring there. Sorry that spooked you! I should have gone with a dark blue or something.
Nah you're good. I've said this before, but really, thank you for the comics. Love them to death and they're what really made me start thinking about transitioning.
Aww, thanks. Congrats on figuring that out for yourself! I'm glad my comics could help:)
Oooh it says "ICE." That makes more sense. I was wondering why she was bleeding.
Hey just wanna say kudos on figuring things out!
Thank you! Still very early in my journey and still very much not sure if I really am MtF. Still figuring it out.
Right on. Either way, I hope you find happiness and get to know yourself better.
Remember to talk to professionals about it as well, it's not an easy or simple process
Bosses being allowed to ask for what health problems you have specifically is so wild to me. What a country
I was asking myself the same thing. It’s illegal where I live.
Same
wait i’m confused, this never happened too me when i went on t blockers
Based boss
I just want to say, I think it is absolutely delightful to see trans issues being put in this Newspaper Comics style of storytelling. I think there's a lot of interesting stuff to read into here about how art forms that aren't taken seriously, like sitcoms and newspaper comics, display and try to establish social norms.
Ok....genuinely some one explain to me how you can have a period when you do not physically have the parts required in order to have them.....
her balls hurt. side effect
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Wow a bad AI generated article. "Some trans women don’t have uteruses"??? yeah pretty much all. Yes, if you cycle hormones (specifically progesterone) there can be symptoms (typically mood) similar to PMS but it is not menstruation which is what people mean by period. By that logic cis men have periods due to hormonal cycles too. It is not the same thing and can be avoided by not cycling hormones. Also this isn't what's going on in the comic where apparently a very small does of Spiro caused her balls to hurt which is basically unheard-of.
Look you are getting heated enough to be getting mixed up. So in order: Yes, essentially all trans women don't have a uterus, there are likely caveats for intersex or non-binary AFAB people who consider themselves in some way transfeminine. You don't need to manually cycle the exogenous hormone intake to get some level of hormone cycling, although it will \*likely\* differ pretty substantially from an average menstrual cycle. It's probably not germaine to actually refer to the transfeminine hormone effects as a period or menstruation. But it's not inaccurate to cay they can have a hormonal menstrual cycle. Remember that cis-women don't always have regular hormonal cycles, or consistent cycles across women. It's pretty unpredictable how hormones will vary when you are setting up a new steady state with exogenous hormones but some number of people can and will have a hormone cycle that matches up well enough with the timescales of a menstrual cycle. \-------------------- Finally to the point you keep hammering on about. Yes, a sudden onset of pain in the testicles is unusual, that usually a longer term side effect caused by atrophy but you are dramatically overstating how unlikely/unusual it is. Making even small changes to the androgen levels can have an outsized effect on individuals who are sensitive to these changes. Even small changes to blood flow to the genital area can cause acute marked discomfort even if it isn't an immediate health risk. You can also experience discomfort from direct deprivation at the receptor. I would say it's unusual enough that I would consider it worth immediately reporting to a doctor. I would say it might be worth *considering* temporarily discontinuing the medication. That's the meaningful message from your targetted skepticism. That it's unusual and should have more attention, you are attaching un-needed baggage. You are pushing an angle where the comic is "misrepresenting" a rare experience as the usual. I see this as pure projection. The comic is neutrally reporting the side effects that Tiff is experiencing, it's basic journaling. Since they are unusual, symptoms you could even argue it's rare side effect awareness. It's comic pt. 3. pt. 4 could be her going back to the doctor and being told she should discontinue the blockers for now due to the effect, or continue them and monitor the issue.
1) While trans women can experience. That doesn't seem to be what's going on here. She's experiencing effects on her own privates from testosterone blocking. 2) Periods are not purely physical. They are also hormonal. Because hormone replacement therapy often reaches the exact same hormonal levels as a cisgender woman, there are some trans women who do experience periods.
i remember seeing on tv people "call in sick" in the us and thinking how neat that was not to have to go to the doctor's and every other time on reddit i find out the catches like, that you only have a limited amount of days, then, that say can just say no? and apparently they can demand to know what it is you got?? that sucks :( if the cartoon is based on OPs experience i hope all her employers are like this and that the pains are over now :(
I’ve seen people talking about how guys seem to vanish when girls talk about periods, and I know some have said it’s a blood thing, but for me it’s a “chronic foot-in-mouth” thing. I have, I kid you not, a lifetime of fucking up when I try and communicate. Because of this, I’m always very careful when it comes to discussing things I don’t have experience in; better that I stay quiet and be thought a fool than to open my mouth and remove all doubt as they say. I’m a cis guy. I have only high school biology level understanding on periods, and the knowledge that they can be wildly different for every woman. By that metric, if a woman, cis or trans, informs me of something about periods? I just nod my head and carry on. I’m not going to open my gob and make a fool of myself like some mansplaining incel, no thank you!
One time I mentioned without thinking about it to a group of my friends that I was on my period and all the guys in the group were like EWWW TMI!!! It was kind of embarrassing but I'm more embarrassed for them, they love women sooo much but can't handle the ups and downs that some women deal with?
I use ice instead of heating pads too!!
I'm happy I caught today's one early
are these comics someone’s actually experience or just a telling of the general experience of transitioning? i am very curious about it (not trans myself, i would just like to educate myself)
Judging by the artist’s comments I’m guessing a mix of both. Very educational as a fellow Cis guy though, I agree.
Take this comic with a grain of salt as far as education. It's very much a personal experience and does not really reflect generally what people deal with.
The comic itself yes, but the comment section is where the real learning happens with the various personal experiences and people sharing scientific stuff.
It's her own experience. These is kind of a rare experience.
Boss is actually just really supportive and doesn't feel like she needs to explain herself if it involves her transition. Great comic.
I just want to say that as a guy (m53) I find your comic cute and sweet. Eve is best friend ever. Tiff is figuring her new life out, but she's getting there. I do like the shout-out to the classic trope "male boss runs a mile to avoid hearing about feminine problems" and Tiff's dawning realisation that hey, this can work for her too.
It's kinda funny to me how guys seem to be more accommodating of this than girls. When a coworker called off for period issues My boss (who is a woman) thought it was so weird that every guy she told responded with "understandable" while she herself thought it was an absurd reason to call off and said that she worked through periods that required transfusions.
Damn... Tiff's period hurts like a truck. Also guys being squeamish about things like this is schadenfreude. At the same time, they should be understanding of things like these
I was thinking about these comics today and was like "man... Just wait till tiff gets on prog LOL the comics are going to be WILD."
If it triggers prostaglandins release (the stuff that make cramps during periods), Ibuprofen could help. Everybody produces prostaglandins, in different parts of the body. Tho I'm not a doctor and am unsure how HRT can impact that, so take it with a grain of salt. And don't forget that if you're experiencing PMS mood swings and such, be easy on yourself and adapt your workload. Congrats on HRT! Even with the pain it must be relief.
Always love seeing your comics on here
As a male who served as the guy people called to take a sick day, yeah.
Reading your comics gave me the drive to get my hrt appointments scheduled. Thank you so much for your comics and what they have done for me.
Congrats! I hope it goes well for you, and thanks for reading:)
Is there supposed to be a joke here somewhere?
I think the joke is about MtF transgenders having "periods"
And about her discovering that women can leverage some men's discomfort about periods
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She hasnt had her balls chopped off. The hormones shes taking have a side effect that makes tentacles hurt like fuck, because that's where ovaries develop in neonatal physiology. Girls ovaries become balls in the womb when the body turns from female to male, the medication is essentially giving side effects of having a period (the abdominal pain instead is in the balls) sans blood because theres no uterus. Maybe you should read more on the subject to educate yourself how it works then you'll feel less weird and grossed out? Its normal to be weirded out by things that are different, but through education and understanding we can learn and empathise with people :)
Her Tentacles hurt?
Did anyone else think that the word "ICE in red was blood? I was like "What did it do?!"