1. Bleeding through their pants during class or any other social event.
When girls are on their period, a certain type of anxiety occurs. I think most of us can understand the pain of fearing you got blood on a chair seat, or leaked through your pants, making a small target on your behind for everyone to see. Of course guys never think about this, why would they?
2. Holding keys in between their fingers when walking to their car at night.
Most men who I’ve talked to about this have said things like “do girls really do that?” or “why?”. Well, believe it or not women don’t always feel safe and especially not at night. Therefore, we prepare ourselves for the worst, which we shouldn’t have to do, but we do.
3. Watching their friends drink, being cautious with “slap the bag”, and any other free alcohol offered at parties.
I’m sure we all know what I’m talking about with this topic. Roofies. The terrifying, yet way too common rape drug. Guys never worry about getting roofied and chances are if they are roofied, bad things aren’t guaranteed to happen, which is a completely different story for women.
4. If they are fat.
Yes, I said it. Some guys may take extremely good care of their bodies. However, it is not an ongoing pressure to have a small waist and a big butt. The pressure and anxiety that many women in this generation have about their bodies is unnerving to say the least. My roommate works out constantly, in fear that her body won’t be good enough for summer or for the guys she talks to. Girls and women fear that they won’t live up to the societal standards and it’s a ongoing thought in the back their heads.
5. Will wearing a short skirt give the wrong impression?
Not just short skirts, but anything a little too revealing. Women fear that if they wear something revealing and something happens to them, well then it’s their fault. This should not be the case, but for some reason guys think showing skin is an invitation for sex, which it absolutely is not.
6. Having their partner get mad for saying “no” or “stop”.
Let’s get one thing straight, you have zero obligation to finish the act, or even say no to it in the first place. From personal experience, I have had previous boyfriends get mad at me for wanting to stop having sex, or not have it in the first place. In my opinion, it is my body and I get to decide what I want to do with it. However, guys almost never have to worry about their girlfriends getting mad or upset when saying stop or no to sex.
7. Hiding your tampons/pads.
For many girls and women, this is a constant subject on their mind when on their period. The worry of sneaking a tampon up their sleeve or in their boots, or any other discreet way. Talking, about it is “taboo”, but is it taboo to make a guy look at a tampon in the package?
8. SHAVING
Ugh. Shaving. Does anyone understand how hard it is to shave in the dorm bathrooms? I’m sure you do, or you might have been lucky enough to avoid this struggle. Guys never have to think about shaving because they just let it grow, so why can’t we? Don’t get me wrong, I like my smooth exfoliated legs, but guys will never have to worry about wearing shorts and thinking, “oh wait did I shave?” If I had a dollar for everytime I wore pants because I didn’t shave my legs, well, I’d have at least 20 dollars by now.
9. Birth Control
Just like shaving, birth control is just yet, another responsibility for girls and women. They come in many shapes, forms and sizes. Some come with less responsibility than others, but many people I know started with the pill, which is something you have to remember to take EVERYDAY. On the other hand, some guys I know forget to brush their teeth in the morning, I’d like to see them take on the responsibility of birth control.
10. Being a “Sl*t”
To be honest I am so sick of body count being a thing. Why does the amount of previous partners matter, if you’re being safe and smart about it? Honestly, men get praised for their sexual encounters while women are shamed for it. But, a lot, almost all the girls I know carry condoms, get tested after every interaction, and get check ups regularly. As long as you take your sexual health seriously, you should be allowed to have as much or as little sex as you want. Just be safe and smart!
While this article was not to bash on guys, hopefully it gives them a perspective of what girls go through. Because while it is “a man’s world”, it would be nothing without us girls ;)