Of Men and Menstrual Periods

The response to the For Men Only survey has been quite modest (20 brave souls). Yet, some interesting glimpses have been afforded into men's attitudes/beliefs about the menstrual period.

The bad news first. The majority of men in the survey didn't know that having a monthly period doesn't lower a woman's risk of cancer:

Q Do you think having a monthly period decreases a woman's risk of cancer?

10% Yes

15% No

70% Don't know

5% Don't care

And now for the good news (and there's a lot of it).

Most men know when the woman in their life (for most respondents, a sexual partner, but also a friend, or a relative) has her period:

Q Do you know when she has her menstrual period?

70% Yes

20% Sometimes

10% No

This is how they acquire the information:

Q How do you know when she has her period?

76.47% She tells you

11.76% You pick up on clues

11.76% You keep track on your own

And this is what they do with it:

Q Assuming you know when she has her monthly period, do you treat her differently than you normally would?

30% Yes

55% No

15% Not sure

This is quite encouraging:

Q Do you feel comfortable discussing period related matters with her?

65% Yes

15% No

20% Not sure

And this is what men (well, the ones that took the survey at least) really think of the menstrual period:

Q In general, when it comes to the menstrual period, do you like it/dislike it/not sure what to think of it/don't have an opinion on it:

10% Like it

20% Dislike it

25% Not sure what to think of it

45% Don't have an opinion on it

Q Do you think most women like having a period every month?

5% Yes

70% No

25% Don't know

Finally, apropos of menstrual management:

Q If there was a safe way for a woman to control how often she has a period, what would your first reaction be if she chooses to have a period only once every few months?

52.63% Great, go for it!

5.26% Wow, spooky!

5.26% Don't do it, it's just weird!

21.05% Not sure what my reaction would be

15.79% Don't care enough to have a reaction

I think you will agree with me: the results are most interesting. I'm very curious to find out if these answers continue to hold true for a larger sample. So, if you're a man, please take a moment to fill out the survey, and if you're a woman, please encourage the men in your life (friends, sexual partners, relatives) to participate.


I'll update the results periodically.