Define “traditionally”, define “heaviest”. And know that we’re not playing misery poker here. It’s so hard to determine that it’s beside the point to try to do so. Both women and men have had to carry necessary and difficult tasks through all of history, because that’s what the human experience means.

Padma Lakshmi was just on the PBS Newshour talking about her constant struggles with endometriosis and how she wishes someone would have helped her and listened as a teenager to her stories of pain and agony. I can’t remember a time I didn’t bleed through 4 pads in a school day, didn’t have to yell at teachers and…

I had a manager take a survey of all the other women when I called it for cramps, asking if they really got that bad.

This is so a thing! My husband is totally chill about it, and feels bad enough when I am on my period that he’ll offer to go get tampons for me. Then again, he’s European and grew up with just his mom and his sister so I’m totally blaming both of those things.

Same. I had period pain that was so severe that I genuinely considered suicide. Had pain so bad at school that I had to have two friends practically carry me to the nurse’s office, all while the (male) teacher acted as though I was faking. Also had a (male) teacher refuse to let me use the bathroom until I explained…

Right? Make them take a mystery pill 3 times a day. Could be placebo. Could be a laxative. Could be an Ambien. Could be an emetic....

Not to mention when I get real horny on day two but my boyfriend wants nothing to do with that business.

《a low, steady hum of condescension—one that suggests their experience always matters more.》

Yep, I usually “work from home” on the first day of my period. Fortunate that I have that as an option. And all of the men in my office ask every month why I’m not coming in. They haven’t figured out it happens every 22-26 days.

My little girl has just started menstruating, and it's hell. She's just grey, in amazing pain - I just want to stop them for her and relieve her of this horror.

Holy fucking shit. What does she think taxpayer money is for - to benefit only half of the population?

One legislator in Michigan is trying to pass a bill to provide all schools with free pads and tampons to the students. I was so happy to see the interview, as she was very proud to be doing this. Than the local tv station read some Facebook posts about it. Some woman said it wasn’t her responsibility as a taxpayer to…

When I first asked my boyfriend if he could bring me tampons from the store... he looked uncomfortable. I simply said: “Oh no, people might think you have a girlfriend if they see you buying tampons.” And that was pretty much the end of it.

My sister likes to remind me that in high school, when I would get my period I’d be in so much pain that I would scream at her to just kill me. I don’t blink when getting waxed, needles, etc. don’t even make me nervous. But there have been many times when my cramps were so painful that I passed out.

Right? They experienced fake blood for a week. What a joke, that’s the easiest part of your period to get rid of if you are on certain kinds of birth control. Otherwise, HELLO TRY GUYS, WANT TO EXPERIENCE LIFE AWASH IN HORMONAL RAGE? IT’S GREAT, I KNOW YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, BUT LIKE, YOU SHOULD EXPERIENCE FOR…

“A lot of young girls and women have to plan their life events around their menstrual cycle and it suuuuucks”

Also, I forgot the amazing first day of your period where you (or at least I) pee and poo off one pant size.

And have random giant poops/diarrhea. The amount of time I spend in the bathroom (and in fear) during my period is ridiculous.

I would lay face down in the dirt and thank the almighty if the worst thing about having a period is bleeding through clothes, pads, and tampons. This experiment does nothing to share women’s experiences because what’s missing is the extreme pain (for years I would black out, faint, be susceptible to a raging fever,…

For true accuracy, they should have had someone sneak up on the guys unexpectedly a few times a day to pummel them in the stomach.