Report on 'menstrual discrimination among transmen in Nepal' launched

Kathmandu, Dec 9: A study report on 'Menstrual Discrimination among Transmen in Nepal' was launched amidst the ongoing three-day International Learning Conference on Dignified Menstruation that kicked off in the federal capital on Monday.

The study features insights from four focused group discussions with 30 transmen and an online survey with 52 participants. It reveals that transmen, like other menstruators, are socialized to perceive menstruation as a source of fear from early childhood. These feelings deepen at menarche and continue throughout life, as they face both visible and invisible forms of menstrual discrimination that often go unspoken.

For many, identifying as transmen or navigating dual identities means facing layers of systemic discrimination within families, schools, communities and institutions. Their needs and identities are often ignored and misunderstood, leaving them excluded from social conversations, health services, and policymaking spaces, according to the report.

Some transmen even pursue gender-affirming medical interventions to avoid menstruation though these options are costly and result in serious health risks, the report states. The participants explained complexities from emotional, socio-economic, and political viewpoints, where menstrual discrimination intersects with broader experiences of dehumanization and marginalization.

The report underscores the urgency of educating communities on dignified menstruation, endorsing dignified menstruation values across all sectors, engaging media to represent transmen and promote inclusive narratives. Empowerment of transmen with knowledge on menstruation, management, and rights by recognizing that menstrual discrimination is a human rights issue, the report added.

Sharing his experience as a transman during the report launch ceremony, Anu Shahi Thakuri from remote Kalikot district said that having felt like a boy since childhood, he had never thought that one day he would menstruate like his mother and sister. His first menstruation at the age of 14 was indeed a horrifying experience.

He added that conflict/dysphoria, dual identity, emotional stress, pressure to stop menstruation through the use of hormones, and derision are among the specific challenges that transmen brave. “Do you menstruate? Do you have a vagina too?” Such were the unexpected questions from a pharmacist when he approached to purchase a menstrual pad, which disheartened him much. He views that this reflects the broader societal perspective toward trans people.

Speaking about the wider policy gaps and the need for open conversations on menstruation among transmen, Anu urged everyone not to overlook the matter and not to assume that only women or only those with feminine characteristics menstruate. “Individuals with uterus menstruate,” he insisted.

The report is developed by the Unity for Change in collaboration with the Radha Paudel Foundation/Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation. (RSS)