How can I be gender inclusive when speaking about menstrual cycles?
Please remember that not all women menstruate, and not all menstruators are women.
Alternative language to use:
- Period/menstruation products (instead of feminine hygiene products)
- when referring to people who get periods: menstruators, those with uteruses, people who menstruate, person on their period, mensturators etc.
- Instead of ""Aunt Flow"" - call it menstruation or a period instead of a 'soft' cover-up
- Be sure to support products and brands that are gender inclusive
For more information, check out our Gender Inclusivity Period Talk guide, made in partnership with Schuyler Bailar!
Biological sex does not equal gender. Despite what most of us learned growing up, male/boy and female/girl are not inextricably linked. Biological sex is typically assigned at birth based on a brief visual inspection of external genitalia. Basically, a doctor looks between your legs and pronounces you “boy” (male) or “girl” (female)." Understanding the science and actively making an effort to use the term menstruators, a more gender-inclusive term that accounts for trans-men & non-binary individuals are key first steps.
