Menstruation is as much a taboo in the Indian society as non-binary sexualities are. And the general dialogue on this topic has always excluded men from joining in. Being a hush-hush matter, even a woman feels ashamed to talk about periods to another woman, so we just can’t expect men to pitch into the conversation. But what if I tell you that there are certain men as well, who go through this bodily cycle every month? Such is the situation with the Trans men.
Last year, the Trans community achieved what was nothing less than a feat –the legal acceptance of the LGBTQ community in India. This, however, has still not ensured the acceptance of the community by our society. In this regard, we can call Trans men and women as doubly marginalized when it comes to availing the facilities provided for everyone in society.
So what happens when the two above-mentioned taboos intermingle, is an ugly situation where Trans men find themselves alienated and detached from society more so in “those days” of the month.
Imagine their situation when they would have to disposea sanitary pad in men’s washroom. This is what happens when Trans men undergo menstruation.
Our society having been defined the gender roles for us have heavily associated everything related to menstruation with the woman’s body. In such a societal setup, where would a man, who has the genitals of a woman turn to? Hence, the menstruation in Trans men is even a bigger taboo.
The lack of sex education, even that of heterosexual intercourse, elevates the gravity of the problem of menstruation in Trans men. Many of us don’t even know about the concept of dysphoria, which is a condition in which a person identifies with the traits and characteristics of the gender other than his or her. And those who know, don’t understand or accept it.
This does not only create a lack of conversation of the related health issues of Trans men but also leads to the hesitation in asking for the facilities available for the “normal” people.
