When Men Hilariously Misunderstand Periods: A Tribute

We all know that dealing with periods is a delicate balance of pain, snacks, and the occasional urge to throw an entire sofa at someone. But what truly gets us through those rough days? The absolute comedy gold of men misunderstanding periods in the most spectacular ways.

1. The Grocery Store Showdown Nothing sends a shiver down a man’s spine quite like the words, "Can you pick me up some pads?" My mate's husband returned from Tesco looking as if he'd just completed an SAS mission. He had bought one of everything—wings, no wings, extra-long, night-time, scented, unscented, ultra-thin, maxi—because he wasn’t sure what kind. "Did I get the right one?" he asked, eyes wild. "No," she said, "but you got a lifetime supply, so thanks."

2. The "Shedding Skin" Social Media Prank Social media once gifted us a viral trend where women convinced their partners that their skin sheds like a snake’s during their period. With carefully flaked skin from peeling sunburns or cosmetic masks, they claimed it was just part of "that time of the month." The most hilarious part? Men believed it. The look of sheer terror and disbelief on their faces was priceless, as they tried to process yet another horrifying "fact" about periods.

3. The "Cycle Syncing" Surprise A colleague once confided that her husband thought periods happened on the same dates every month, like a phone bill. When she explained cycles vary, he looked genuinely betrayed. "So you mean… it can just show up whenever it wants? Like a terrible relative?" Yes. Yes, it can.

4. The NASA Tampon Miscalculation Perhaps the most famous example of period confusion came from NASA itself. When astronaut Sally Ride was preparing for her week-long mission in space, the team of (presumably male) engineers asked if 100 tampons would be enough. For one week. When she politely corrected them, they nodded solemnly and said they’d "cut it down a bit." The scientific minds that could send a woman into space couldn’t quite grasp basic biology. Classic.

5. The "Survival Kit" Fail One well-meaning boyfriend tried to be prepared and made his girlfriend a "period emergency kit." It contained: chocolate (good), painkillers (also good), a tiny decorative candle (what?), a stress ball (interesting choice), and—bless his soul—a box of plasters (?). "I thought maybe they could, you know, help with… leaks?" Facepalm.

So, to all the men out there struggling to grasp the mysterious world of menstruation—thank you for the laughs, the bizarre yet well-intentioned gestures, and most of all, for trying. And to the women reading this: if your man has ever provided you with period-based comedy, treasure him. Just maybe don’t let him explain how tampons work to anyone. Ever.