put on your big-kid caps and tw for mentions of menstruation, endometriosis and heart problems if it's a touchy subject! this is not just directed towards cis women but anyone who is afab (and also aiab people who have to go through this as well). this is not intended to diagnose you but if you think something is wrong, consult a professional who is /specialized/ in this. so here's a fun scenario for you! you no longer have to deal with shark week because you're fifty (ish)! yay! but your doctor says "You're old. you're at risk of heart issues. take hrt (in the case of reducing feminine hormones or smth, not transitioning)." so you do, and guess what studies say? the hrt this doctor prescribed to reduce heart problems puts you at more risk of getting these heart problems! so essentially, this advice is destroying your health. then there's chronic things like endometriosis (this is just an example) which /many/ professionals have deduced to just be bad cramps, stress or anxiety, when it is actually the wrong cells growing in the wrong places, which becomes really bad and painful and a lot (i mean a lot) of menstruation, pain in between cycles, and /so/ /so/ much more. and there isn't a set cure yet. believe me when i say this, there is more research and research funding on things like pattern balding in men than endometriosis research! (i am not even exaggerating, do your own research.) and this is only /one/ painful reality many afab people have to go through. i could go on and on about many other things that affect many of us, but there wouldn't be enough room. this is because for so long, research was primarily conducted on amab people, so it feels as if the entire world of medical research revolves around amab people. even things that affect everyone have been centered around amab people. for example (warning for heart attack mentions), heart attacks are completely different in afab and amab people. for an afab person, a heart attack could be pain radiating to their left arm, and they could be sent home because apparently it isn't that big of a deal. this is another sad example of medical misogyny. i am not saying anyone's problem is better or worse. we all have our struggles and we shouldn't try to compare them. but what is upsetting is the lack of care. i am a proud cis girl, but sometimes i hate being one so badly. and if you relate to a symptom i mentioned here, do not self diagnose. talk to an adult and if that doesn't work, talk to a medical professional the next time you meet one. i am going to keep the comments on and i better not see things like "but amab people struggle more!" (we all struggle) or "this is such a non-problem!" (this is someone's reality you're calling a non problem.) if you say things like that, dni and your comment will be deleted.
