Periods are a pain that many are familiar with. And by that, I don’t only mean the actual pain that comes with having your period. I mean the entire package – the mood swings, the cravings, the cramps, the back aches, the *insert whatever weapon mother nature uses to torture you.*
But even though a “visit from Aunt Flo” might entail different things for different people, it’s something most women go through every month. So, in order to remind them that they’re not alone in experiencing this, today we’re talking about periods and making it fun. On the list below, you will find some of the funniest and most relatable memes, as shared by the ‘Related To Period’ Instagram account, that ought to make you laugh or at least nod in agreement. So if you’re looking for some funny and relatable content to browse, wait not a second longer and start scrolling through!
On the list below, you will also find thoughts shared by endocrinologist and medical doctor specializing in menstrual cycles, professor at the University of British Columbia, Jerilynn C. Prior, who was kind enough to answer a few of Bored Panda’s questions.
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I want to call attention to this; we are so used to being made fun of and put down for being weak when we deal with periods that someone who doesn't know what it's like appreciating that they don't understand and making someone feel better...ya'll, I'm literally crying it's so heartwarming.
Especially when those mother f*****k I n g cramps are at their worst!
Anytime a man calls you emotional or hysterical because you're on your period, you should be able to kick him in the b*lls and then ask him, 'does it hurt?'
And some guys are so ignorant they think we have control over it all....
had a male (of course) friend that used to say "never trust anything that bleeds for 7 days and doesn't die." My response was always something along the lines of "yeah, especially since that makes me stronger than you, biatch!"
Created in 2019, the ‘Related To Period’ Instagram account now has close to 57,000 followers. And even though the content is somewhat lighthearted—mostly funny and relatable memes—such accounts can play a significant role when it comes to diminishing the stigma surrounding such topics as menstruation.
I never had any period pain, ever, but I bled heavily for 10-12 days, and still wore a pad for an extra few days just in case.
Load More Replies...I never got cramps, or pain, or even acknowledge when I'm on the period.. I'm 46 years old and still can't notice
Nearly the same. I've got a little discomfort for a day or so and then it's all easy sailing. But since a year or so (about the same age as you are), things have gotten a bit erratic and sometimes I actually have to take some ibo. But I'm really happy with my 46 years of "no problems" :-)
Load More Replies...I had the opposite experience. Mine was AWFUL until I had my oldest. It was like the pregnancy rebalanced the hormones.
Yep, similar here. Well, and then I had the second and won pain, much blood and bonus hormonal migraines
Load More Replies...My Period is the easy Part.... Ovulation Kills me every month. With cramps, Back pain, mood Swings and cravings
WOW, I thought I was the only one. The next 5 were hell - flows that lasted 10 days and were heavy and the cramps nearly put me on the floor. Thank GOD for birth control pills - they had just come out and were a life saver. No more cramps and med flow for 5 days. Until I was 50, then another story. hehe
I get cramps every other period. What subscription did I get signed up for?
standing up, followed by having to sit down immediately because of the Gush. And then feeling the Gush squelch up between your legs!
Discussing the topic with Bored Panda, Prof. Jerilynn C. Prior, a medical doctor specializing in menstrual cycles, noted that people need to be accurate, respectful and brave when talking about menstrual flow, given the negative stereotypes and taboos.
“That means we must use and teach our daughters—and also our sons—to use accurate anatomical language. In this teaching we must be straightforward and direct,” she said.
I think we should normalize acknowledging the grossness of the human body. I do with my kids. Like, yup, your body's doing something gross. The good news is literally EVERYONE'S body does gross stuff. EMBRACE THE GROSS!
This is so true. Especially during s*x. Young people are so concerned about their bodies doing weird stuff during intimacy. Don’t worry; most everyone who’s done the deed has equally embarrassing tales to tell. Bodies are weird and sometimes gross. We just have to deal.
Load More Replies...This is the argument I use when someone tells me they live according to the bible.. (turn to the wife) "it must be very difficult living in the yard in the winter during your 'period of uncleanliness'. For some reason they get annoyed.
If I knew when said hour would be, I wouldn't be against losing all the blood in that single hour instead of over the course of a week.
Just take a book to the loo and breathe the pain away
Load More Replies...The need to educate everyone—female and male—is evident when looking at how taboo the topic of menstruation still is. According to a survey of boys and young men carried out by Plan International, many of them avoid the topic, as they consider menstruation to be a ‘private matter’ for girls and women.
The survey also found that the male respondents, aged 16 to 25, reportedly associated periods with such words as ‘dirty’ (55%), ’embarrassing’ (31%), and even ‘disgusting’ (38%).
(Male) doctors would've sought remedies centuries ago if us fellas had to deal with menstruation. Or there'd at least be an attitude of, "Bro, I get it. Take the week off" as opposed to, "Have an aspirin. You'll be fine; dealing with pain is just part of being a woman. It can't really be all that bad." Tell me again who's the weaker s*x?
I've always said it's a conspiracy, we get blamed ..MENstruation, MENopause...
Add an induced coma until it's over, and you'll have all their bases covered for menstrual pain.
This is why we need s*x ed in schools……..and maybe boys don’t get to graduate unless they actually pass the test on female stuff?
to be fair, I think it should be that everyone should do a test on the opposite s*x. Because I sure as sh*t know really little about men's 'stuff'
Load More Replies...He knows it happens every month. He was just surprised the month passed so quickly.
Seeking to spread awareness and information regarding the physical and psychological causes and effects of ovulation disturbances on women’s overall health, in 2002, Prof. Prior founded the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research (CeMCOR). “The centre’s vision and goal is to ‘reframe scientific knowledge of the menstrual cycle and ovulation in a woman-centred context,’” she told Bored Panda.
But even though it’s important to be straightforward and accurate when talking about menstrual flow and women’s health, it’s not uncommon for people to use euphemisms when talking about the topic.
That's usually nature being violent, dang dry air and harsh allergies lol
Load More Replies...This is a fabulous piece of art. Love it and not something I wouldn't expect to have found on Bored Panda!
I used to think God got it backwards. Instead of taking the pill to prevent pregnancy why not take a pill to get pregnant if you wanted to have a baby?
or why can't we be like dogs and cats? Cats have no bleeding but just act weird. Dogs bleed preheat: they are actually ovulating at the end of the prestrus and first few days post bleeding. Never heard a dog or cat tell me they had cramps.
My work has them in the female bathrooms readily available.... Has saved me on more than one occasion.
I no longer have my period, but I still carry supplies in my purse in a discreet container, just in case, for any type of bleeding, actually. After all, tampons were created during WW1 to triage bullet wounds.
I still keep them in the house for my daughters, even though I'm 77 - old habits die hard.
worked in pubs 4 app 30yrs and done the whole menopause thing but still carry Tampons in my bag, a girls night out always has 1 running 2 the bar, Don't worry girls this granma has you covered.. lol
As a matter of fact, using all sorts of “codes” when talking about periods is so widespread that people in different countries and cultures use different phrases to describe it. According to menstrual and reproductive health app Clue, there are more than 5,000 euphemisms for the word “period” used in places all over the world.
I honestly want to know how we didn't just get eaten to oblivion by predators back in the older days, other animals try to hide their smell and we literally bleed for a week straight.
Forgive me for asking as I'm just an ignorant man, but do periods frequently cause tattoos?
If you don't let the blood go freely, yes. The endometrium travels to inside the skin and creates beautiful patterns.
Load More Replies...Ugh the horror of it catching hair that you know it's going to pluck out strand by strand
Load More Replies...i'm on my period right now. honestly DP's suit would be useful because i wouldn't have to worry about any blood showing up
Or when it comes unstuck altogether and you feel it fall down your trouser leg.....
I used to get a pause of a day or two, then it'd start again....."all perfectly normal" says my doctor...
According to Clue, in Germany, for instance, women refer to periods as “strawberry week,” a “visit from the red aunt” or the “relative from Rotenburg” (the latter meaning “red castle”), or “riding the red wave,” among others.
The French also make the connection to strawberries, referring to periods as “strawberry season.” They also use such phrases as “ketchup week,” “the little clown with a nose bleeding,” or call periods “Niagara falls.”
Even prescription painkillers didn't so much as take the edge off, so I just never bothered.
You must have super-villian DNA in your bloodline. That's my story and I'm sticking to it 😁 🤣 😂
Load More Replies...Or cough. Or laugh. Or stand up. Or otherwise move in any way.
For sure. I almost went to the hospital once, it was that bad. Then I grew up and eventually had a baby, went into labor and I laughed, laughed, laughed at how bad I thought my period cramps were.
I wonder if there is a correlation between painful periods and painful labour...
Load More Replies...I was in active labor and 4 cm dilated and DIDN’T EVEN KNOW because the pain I was feeling wasn’t even close to my period pain. Only found out I was in labor because I happened to be at my regular checkup. Doc couldn’t believe I didn’t know I was having contractions. But sure, since it’s not having a baby, I’ll just go to work when I have cramps.
Apparently some jobs in the US offer period leave (according to Ask a Manager; I’m not American and don’t get specific period leave myself). But then our good XY friends have to go wreck it by complaining that they don’t get period leave too and it’s “discriminatory” for them to not get it. Jerks.
Pre-period mental distress has me doubting my lifechoices every month, I wish I could call in sick, if only for an afternoon, and not even every month.
had to miss 2 days of school every month after about the first yr--from 8th grade until graduation; complete hysterectomy at 38. The pain & endometriosis was no joke!
I can't tell you how many times I've been at work, and a female calls in because of her period, and the ALSO FEMALE manager will roll their eyes and shít talk the employee for it. It makes me so mad!
While it’s evident that people everywhere can get quite creative when it comes to talking about periods, it’s crucial that they are familiar with the actual terminology, too, as well as with the processes affecting women’s health. And while browsing memes might not be the way to learn about them, they can count as a step towards making periods a less stigmatized topic, at least.
yeah cause what if im NOT on my period huh? are you assuming my periodness?? (i'm totally on it)
That's when the 'kick him in the balls and ask him how he feels" rule comes in.
once i was changing my pad in my schools bathroom and a girl i didnt even know in the next stall over said " oooof good luck bestie!!" i laughed sooo hard!! 😂😂🩸
I saw a reddit comment once that fits so perfect here and I laugh every f'ing time...girl on her period needed the restroom and went into the first one at the store. She had unknowingly gone in the men's room. Opened the pad, and a dude in another stall said something along the lines of "d**n, must be a bad one if you gotta bring snacks!" and now that's all I think of when I hear a period wrapper.
See I said this on a previous thread and everyone kept saying that it's a natural body function and nothing to be ashamed of. I just said I believe it is a private matter, nobody else's business and I hated crinkly wrappers.
At work the guys hear the rustling as I try to take a pad from my bag and think I have sweets, instant interest. Wish the manufacturers would cover this stuff with something quiet.
One thing I don’t miss about working in an office is the ninja level planning required to fish out your products and take the long walk to the ladies’ without being waylaid.
Load More Replies...it's like trying to sneak open a pack of cookies, only no where near as enjoyable!
To each their own, but this doesn't bother me a bit. I mean, I was very shy about it as a teenager. But now I'm in my 40s, and I literally couldn't care less. I will openly carry my period product to the bathroom.
I take that magic little pill so I just skip if it aligns with a holiday
I once cried at an orange juice commercial because a family was picking oranges together and it was so beautiful.
my bff once cried at me managing to not hurt myself at least once a day for the first time. I laughed so hard like I'm sorry bestie but I'm not laughing at u specifically it's literally the fact that Im so clumsy its gotten to this point! XD
Load More Replies...I happy cry at stupid stuff. Then I turn feral for a few days and live under a bridge before returning when my period starts.
I do not cry. I grab my 12 tb xanax + 12 tb metroprolol combo and try the odds xD Took me 3 cycles after switching to new antidepressants before I noticed the pattern :D
I ugly cried at a dog food commercial. That's when I knew I wouldn't be having my period for the next 9 months.
Really? How is it I am 46 yrs old and it never occurred to me, never was mentioned, that one's cervix dilates during periods!
Same here! I’m 55 and did not know this until now! OMG
Load More Replies...True, that's why the early stages of labor feel like period cramps.
“I AM THE NEXT EXAMPLE OF HAVING AN IMMACULATE CONCEPTION AND I DO NOT LIKE IT”
Hah! Nobody told me that chemo and rads will stop your period. I was sexually active at the time and went into high-panic mode when I skipped 2 months in a row.
basically my middle-school/early HS existence while learning my cycle/having it settle in
A year after I had my daughter, I went off the pill and didn't have a period for six months. I was terrified. I was told my body didn't know what to do. Huh? That's a thing?
Period undies, where have you been all my life??? I wish I'd had them growing up, now heading towards perimenopause I use them and sleep better as a result
Sadly, they don't help my own version of Niagara falls meets Texas chainsaw m******e. I 'be learned to live with no or very little sleep for the first two nights 😭
Load More Replies...Don't forget that feeling like someone has boxed with your bo*bs!!
I had to get my mammogram the week before my period started. As if mammograms aren't super awesome already.
Load More Replies...This!! My PMS is way worse than my actual period-and lasts longer too!!
I've learned to identify those symptoms!!!! Now I just tell my hubby that the hormones are here....
I never used to think I had pre-period hormonal wotsits but now that my daughter lives with us again (aged 40) I can tell what part of the cycle she is in (and NO, I never mention it - I'm not daft!)
my husabnd once called from the office to "see if it was safe to come home." I told him he just answered his own question.
I have at least one day a month where I hate everyone and everything for no reason, and feel like my life is absolutely hopeless. Then I realize oh yeah, my period is coming, and ignore myself.
The whole time. And I had medical issues so my periods might last 3 days or 7 or 8. I was so grateful to hit menopause.
Load More Replies...I never understood why they're called "cramps." They are not cramps. They are blinding stabbing pains that make me unsure if I'm going to vomit or cry.
It feels like someone is twisting it like they’re trying to wring out a towel while an angry possum is also trying to eat its way out
Load More Replies...I don't mind the bleeding and cramping - for me it's the darkness in my mind that sucks the most
God yes ... Everything.... Every little tiny thing and I'm either sobbing or furious or both
Load More Replies...This technically applies to men too. We hate when you're on your period but we're relieved when it comes.
I'm always able to tell when I'm about to have my period by the existential crisis that occurs a day or two before
That feeling of emptiness when you pee out all that water your body has been holding onto 🫠
Yep, thank goodness for videogames and movies to keep me company on the sleepless nights!
It's worse when your skin only clears up when you're having your period.
I'm 43 and will still get a zit or two on my period. Skin, can you stop, please? You too, uterus? Can all of you just stop it? I'm really tired of this XD
Late 60s here. Hysterectomy at 40. Still get zits.
Load More Replies...Yes!! I NEVER got zits when I was a teenager. Then I hit 40, and every 3 weeks I'm a pizza face!
This but, taking meds for chronic pain. Wonder what it would be like without.
I stopped taaking mine,, because I still hurt even with them. It made very little differeence - but now I have something to take occasionally when I have a flare up. Good luck to you
Load More Replies...Each to their own. I personally don't like pads but I'll wear them when I go to bed
I need to use both. just using one will result in massive leakage.
i wore a tampon one time to go swimming. when i took it out it looked like a broken hotdog and i refuse to ever wear one again
I never got used to tampons because it hurts too much. No matter the size or the brand, that stuff hurts all the time it's there. Menstrual cups hurt too. I can't understand how women can go around with that stuff inserted inside.. paaaaiiinn
If you get them up high enough you shouldn't feel it, but it's still such a hassle so I don't use them either.
Load More Replies...Cups are your best friend if you can use them. They take some practice and yes, are a bit messy sometimes but zero pain, they hold a lot, can't feel a thing, and they don't have a bunch of harmful s**t in them.
Yup, and then you wonder how the world suddenly makes so much sense, and then the week after it's like oh we're back again ok
Or when u can feel the blood when u stand up and it's just like did I bleed through even tho I wear black pants on my period lol
No thanks. Not for all of us. Some of us have never wanted children.
Load More Replies...well you probably have the start of one in there somewhere, even if it's really small
About being on your period? Nah. I think once you get out of your teens you can talk to most women about periods. I had a detailed conversation with a colleague (team-member, but close acquaintance tops) about her period giving her grief. After a certain age you get past being embarrassed and are just like “eh, most women have dealt with this. They get it.”
I always used to be absolutely scandalized when my mother would talk about periods with her friends. Now I've grown up and sometimes my friends and I share every gory detail just to ick out the men.
Load More Replies...Some of what looks like blood is mostly a type of mucus with a bit of blood that makes it look like it's all blood.
It's more like 100ml per month. Who said tablespoons? Nonsense. CUPS should say. Understand? CUPS
Hello waking up to blood from my stomach to my back... yeah just a few tablespoons
After giving birth there is no more hanging out. Because you chose to sleep whenever you have the chance.
I never had cramps or PMS, now in my late 40’s I’m peri and still have regular periods but OMG they are heavy and painful 😭
Whats it like??? Tell me, I have never escaped the pain. I used to pass out during my periods from it, and I have a good threshold.
Ovulation cramps only started after my pregnancy and c-section. Life is full of s**t sometimes
I am 62. My menstruating years were from about 16 to 51. My periods were always painful, involved multiple migraines, etc. I am so glad those years are behind me. I truly believe our society should be structured differently so that women’s biology is universally accommodated in school and the workplace. We comprise more than half of the population, yet we are treated like the minority. Our periods should be automatic days off. Raising children should be considered civil service, and compensated by the government. And those who labor at hourly wage jobs should get the same considerations as those who are paid high salaries.
I'm 41. Got my first period at 12. I just want to cancel my subscription! I'm so done!
In my 30s, but got my first one at 10. My cousin at 9...
Load More Replies...Serious period pain is a symptom that should be taken seriously and treated with the best that medicine has to offer. (And there should be more research in this area so that maybe medicine can have more to offer.) Too many women get told that they're just supposed to put up with being totally incapacitated because it's just part of being a woman.
I've been w/o a period for 2.5 yrs. Got rid of all my supplies. Y'all know what happened next, right? Should be friggin' illegal.
Anyone who dismisses period pain or periods in general is not welcome in my life. I had to have a hysterectomy one month after turning 30 because my periods simply would not stop and I was frequently blacking out from blood loss and/or pain even with an IUD (also, fück Endometriosis).
Year 2025 and still millions of woman have to suffer because they can't stay at home during their period. They have to go to school or to work in discomfort or pain. There should be laws to have 2days off when you are on your period.
Even worse, in some countries, it’s considered so dirty they’re not allowed out of the house for school or work- and have no access to pads or anything.
Load More Replies...I was going to make a joke here and there in the comments but then thought, you're a bloke just STFU!
Eh, can't speak for all ladies but I personally wouldn't mind. I deal with Aunt Flo when she comes with humour. Otherwise I'd probably stab someone. 🤣
Load More Replies...I’ve skipped mine due to the pill for many, many years. Don’t think you’re actually meant to do that but I don’t care; I just don’t want it. Edit: It isn't flawless, though. I still have period stories. 🫥
Mee too :) and then i got an oblation and the nexplanon and havent had aperiod in like 5 or 6 yrs. Its incredible 😍
Load More Replies...I am 62. My menstruating years were from about 16 to 51. My periods were always painful, involved multiple migraines, etc. I am so glad those years are behind me. I truly believe our society should be structured differently so that women’s biology is universally accommodated in school and the workplace. We comprise more than half of the population, yet we are treated like the minority. Our periods should be automatic days off. Raising children should be considered civil service, and compensated by the government. And those who labor at hourly wage jobs should get the same considerations as those who are paid high salaries.
I'm 41. Got my first period at 12. I just want to cancel my subscription! I'm so done!
In my 30s, but got my first one at 10. My cousin at 9...
Load More Replies...Serious period pain is a symptom that should be taken seriously and treated with the best that medicine has to offer. (And there should be more research in this area so that maybe medicine can have more to offer.) Too many women get told that they're just supposed to put up with being totally incapacitated because it's just part of being a woman.
I've been w/o a period for 2.5 yrs. Got rid of all my supplies. Y'all know what happened next, right? Should be friggin' illegal.
Anyone who dismisses period pain or periods in general is not welcome in my life. I had to have a hysterectomy one month after turning 30 because my periods simply would not stop and I was frequently blacking out from blood loss and/or pain even with an IUD (also, fück Endometriosis).
Year 2025 and still millions of woman have to suffer because they can't stay at home during their period. They have to go to school or to work in discomfort or pain. There should be laws to have 2days off when you are on your period.
Even worse, in some countries, it’s considered so dirty they’re not allowed out of the house for school or work- and have no access to pads or anything.
Load More Replies...I was going to make a joke here and there in the comments but then thought, you're a bloke just STFU!
Eh, can't speak for all ladies but I personally wouldn't mind. I deal with Aunt Flo when she comes with humour. Otherwise I'd probably stab someone. 🤣
Load More Replies...I’ve skipped mine due to the pill for many, many years. Don’t think you’re actually meant to do that but I don’t care; I just don’t want it. Edit: It isn't flawless, though. I still have period stories. 🫥
Mee too :) and then i got an oblation and the nexplanon and havent had aperiod in like 5 or 6 yrs. Its incredible 😍
Load More Replies...
