Women deal with a lot on a daily basis — whether it's cleaning up a messy period in a public restroom or handling sexism in the workplace.
So when Reddit user u/Top_Run4841 asked women to share the things they go through that most men don't understand, they had lots to say. Here are some relatable responses:
1. "Feeling sad and tired for no reason because my body starts producing less serotonin before my period. I get so sad, and I can’t do anything to feel happy for like two or three days a month."
2. "How turning us on needs to happen waaaay before you even get our clothes off."
3. "How being preyed on by men starts so young. I was first catcalled by men when I was 9 years old and was first groped when I was 11 at a public library."
4. "Going to the bathroom in groups because we feel safer, can do a period leak/outfit check, and have someone to talk shit with while we wait in line."
5. "When the wire breaks free from your bra and attempts to impale your boob."
6. "How our brains gets rewired by pregnancy. Foods you loved now taste like crap, and others you only tolerated taste like heaven. You can’t remember how to drive a stick shift, but you can put together a complicated storage unit with no instructions while eight months pregnant. And if you get pregnant again, everything will get rewired differently."
7. "Peeing on the toilet a little and feeling it flow up your buttcrack."
8. "Laughing, coughing, or sneezing while on our periods and promptly giving birth to a red jellyfish."
9. "Getting excited about actual, helpful pockets in our clothes."
10. "Living in constant fear of getting pregnant and having to give birth in the future."
11. "Standing up on your period and feeling the gush."
12. "Having your opinions taken less seriously because of your voice. I am trans and recently got surgery to feminize my voice. It has been wild seeing the difference in how people react to me online. My game knowledge is doubted, and my competency is always open for debate."
13. "Feeling as if you can't be successful in your career because you’ll always be accused of sleeping your way to the top or being a difficult woman."
14. "Instinctively holding your boob because it's comfortable and warm, and not for anything sexual."
15. "How terrible it feels pulling out a dry tampon."
16. "Always worrying about our safety wherever we go. If I'm leaving a store at night, I have to be on guard. If I walk the dog at night or through the woods alone, I have to watch my back."
17. "Feeling something hard or pointy stab your boob when someone hugs you. Our boobs are so sensitive."
18. "How much society influences how we behave — from being polite when men creep on us to working a full-time job and still doing the majority of the work at home."
19. And finally, "Dealing with excruciating pain from breastfeeding. The constant engorgement is ungodly. And my baby couldn’t latch correctly, so I would always be in extreme pain — blisters, cracking, bleeding nipples."
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.