possible trigger warning: menstruation

I've been having more dysphoria than usual regarding my cycle the past two months. I've been wondering if there are better terms than stuff like "period"? I've seen "The Red Death" and "cycle" before, but I was wondering if there are others that any of you personally prefer or that you know to exist?

Do you have preferred terms or know of more neutral terms for tampons, pads etc? I've seen "hygiene products," which I like because it's neutral, just curious if there are others.

I ask because I want to have a non-triggering language for myself, and also because my girlfriend is re-making the packaging for my hygiene products with neutral or masculine terms and art (you know, instead of pink, flowers, butterflies and stuff like "have a happy period").

If this doesn't derail the thread too much, any tips on how to deal with cycle-related dysphoria would be appreciated 

Funny ... my wife and I just went through this ourselves. 

I call it shark week & that I need bandages to stop the bleeding.

I just said I bleed/am bleeding. And never really called them anything, just "I need stuff for when I'm bleeding." Blood's pretty neutral. Masculine, really.

first off, i try to ignore the dang thing. But when i cant, i usually refer to it as,... Well, "it". Or rather, not at all. as for products, i really like U by kotex, if only because its a black box and i can use blue tampons. Haha i know its stupid, but something about it not being pink makes it feel so much less girly.
also, its kinda gross, but my mom once told me that she and her friends used to call tampons "corks" so no one knew what they were talking about. Kinda funny imo.

"That bleeding thing", "when I' forced to kowtow to tiny internal organs", "fertility related bleeding", "that thing when it feels like a chestburster is inside me, only in my stomach". I buy the local grocer's own brand of pads, they've got a minimalistically designed package in green and white, no messages, no flowers, no nothing.

Red death??? Now that's just gross! Red Death is a local mixed drink you can ask for at bars here, and that's the way it should stay.

Quote from: Rob on June 02, 2011, 02:46:17 PMI call it shark week & that I need bandages to stop the bleeding.

Made me smile 

@Kyril: thanks for the input, that's pretty much to the point and avoids references to female-ness

@Jessman3: "Cork," lol, classy. I kind of avoid terms right now, or stay vague, too.

@Pixieboy: I like those ways of talking about it. I should also look into more neutral packaging. Last time I bought a boat load online, so it'll be a while lol

@sascraps: I don't think I'll be able to drink that with the associations it has for me haha

Manstration. I like to pretend as I bleed the gross nasty estrogen is leaving my body.

haha my sister calls it the Dark Ages

I've just always said I need things because I'm bleeding like a stuck pig. I always avoided any terms.

shark week, the red death, the monthly, at war, AF, seeing red, high tide, bad week, the banks of the Nile are overflowing and running red, being drafted, big red, black towel time, BLASP (bleeding like a stuck pig), blood demon, bloody mess, blowing a fuse, Carrie, chasing waterfalls, the circus is closed the monkey has a nose bleed, the commies are coming, monthly courses, crimson curse, crimson tide, drippy faucet, driving a red car, dragon time, fighting the scarlet crusade, high tide, devil days, battling scarlets, on auto-drip, texas massacre, painting the town red, the imperial guards are in residence, hunting season, changing the oil this week, leak week, the mean reds, the monster, offering the sacrifice, the sharks are circling, the red sox are in town, the red flag is up...I think that's about it.

You forgot riding the red bus. A friend of mine used to call it that.

Pre-transitioning I never talked about it, in fact it was known as "it." And products were, "them/those."  No joke!

Now, not having it anymore, I'm perfectly fine calling it a period, menstrual cycle, and if it ever needs to show up in a conversation (however rare that may be)... "bleeding," however gross that sounds, works fine. 

Your Aunt Flo has come to town for a visit.
Atleast that's what my old volleyball coach said to say.

Thanks guys, this is a great list going here  And admittedly, some of them are hilarious ("the circus is closed, the monkey has a nosebleed"...lol)

End of the sentence.

red death is what I use most with others ftm's. Try is avoid even mentioning to others.  I use tampon and like to refer to them as corks a terms I learned from my mother. They do stop any blood from coming out.  Can't use pads or the cup device, too much dysphoria with both, seeing pads every time you pee and can't see get so involved with my parts to use the cups.  My dysphoria is the worst with menstruction, it comes every month and reminds me I have girly parts for days with cramps and leaking blood.  My cramps are bad for a day to a day and half, no guy has lower tummy pain every month.  Enough from me don't to even like to write this, but saw the thread and had to say something.

event of the red tide

I'm a fan of shark week (the term that is, not the event itself).  Overall I try to just avoid talking about it or use vague terms or pronouns. 

Quote from: James-Allen on June 02, 2011, 06:00:53 PM
haha my sister calls it the Dark Ages

this is hilarious.

Personally I've always used the term "supplies," as in, "When you stop at the store can you pick me up some supplies."