How I deal with my periods as a trans man
sadness and emptiness. But part of it has been finding the right way to manage my menstrual cycle, that nagging monthly reminder that my reproductive organs once labelled me as female.
For me, that meant trashing the sanitary towels I’d used since my first period and taking up the menstrual cup. It was almost an impulse buy after seeing a Facebook ad, but I was exhausted with seeing the blood whenever I pulled down my underwear, cleaning myself up and the self-disgust of it all.
That overrode concerns about how I’d get on with inserting the thing after my patchy track record with tampons, which were often tricky and uncomfortable for me to use.
As soon as I tried out my new solution, it was as if I’d bought myself freedom. It’s pure relief not to worry for as much as 12 hours at a time and, oddly enough, being able to see just how small an amount of blood caused me so much angst.
