Do men know what periods are?
Not so long ago, we sent out a survey to men and dads to find what their knowledge on periods was. The results are now here.
The online survey had a series of questions and we managed to get responses from 389 men where almost everyone was aware of what a period is. But what was a little shocking is that 1 in 3 men did not know what period poverty is. It’s clear that there are some gaps in our education system when it comes to educating boys about period. Our first period pack, includes an educational guide to growing up and puberty, perhaps periods is something all young people should read about.
56.8% of men said that they have learnt about periods in schools which suggests that the majority of period education happens in school. Now this doesn't mean that they might have got an education, it could be just word of mouth or friends talking to another friends.
So where else can a man learn about periods? 21.9% said that they learnt about periods at home, perhaps through their parents or very often having family members who has periods.
The conversation surrounding periods is an important one and regardless of where it happens, it should take place so that everyone can understand periods better.
We asked, are you comfortable talking about period?
1 in 4 men said that they do not speak openly about periods with their friends and families, suggesting a certain degree of period shame. Fortunately, we were happy to find that 89% of men said they would be comfortable buying menstrual products from a supermarket. Here at WUKA, we believe periods are something that should be embraced and celebrated, and we are committed to working towards breaking all period taboos and stigmas, so that all men feel comfortable talking about periods.
We have different types of period protection available from the supermarket and we were pleased to find that 82.2% of men have brought a period product for their loved one. Nearly all the men surveyed (95.9%) have heard about pads and it was interesting to see 207 out of the 389 men have heard about period pants. Perhaps we are bit biased as the survey went out to the family whose partner already uses period pants).
Are men aware of period poverty?
Despite the general awareness that men have around period protection options, we found that 40.6% did not know what period poverty is. Period poverty means being unable to access sanitary products or having poor knowledge of menstruation due to financial constraints.
No period should hold anyone back and here at WUKA we are committed to making period pants more accessible to everyone. We have been petitioning to remove tax from period pants, which would, in turn, make period pants more affordable and accessible for those who menstruate.
We asked, what do you think of when someone says they are having period?
Different people have different relationships with periods and we wanted to find out what men think about when they hear or see someone on their period. It was clear that a large proportion of men felt sympathetic and understood that the person bleeding may be in pain and particularly emotional.
We had various answers mentioning the need for chocolate, extra love and to generally being more aware and caring during the cycle. Many men were also expressed that they feel “nothing” when confronted with a period suggesting that the men are becoming more neutral to periods and view menstruation as a natural process.
Are period parties the way to bust taboos and raising awareness around period?
We live in a world where we love to party and WUKA believes periods are something to be celebrated too. Period parties are becoming more popular to celebrate a child's entrance into the world of adolescence. A large portion of men was open to the idea of throwing a period party for their loved one, with 54.7% of men saying a definite “YES” and 33.9% expressing their interest by answering “maybe”.
We are breaking the period stigma and there is hope that someday (fingers crossed soon), periods will be a cause of celebration and joy all around the world. One way you can celebrate your child's first period is by getting them a pair of our WUKA tween pants, making the first and all periods hassle and stress free.