Period care and gender dysphoria

Not every trans or non-binary person has dysphoria. Not everyone who has dysphoria finds periods hard. And not everyone binds, packs or takes hormones. This Column is for anyone for whom periods and gender feel tangled, and for the people who support them. Here, “readers” means everyone who has periods.

Why periods can make dysphoria louder

Trans Care BC, part of BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority, defines gender dysphoria as “Distress resulting from a difference between a person’s gender and their sex assigned at birth, associated gender role, and/or primary and secondary sex characteristics.” It cites WPATH for this definition.

A period can be a monthly reminder of that difference. Kids Help Phone lists menstruation among the puberty changes for “assigned female at birth folks”. It says a trans or non-binary person “may feel even more out of place in their bodies than they did before puberty”, and that this disconnect “can cause feelings of distress and anguish.”

Research on this is new, and there is not much of it. A 2025 scoping review looked for studies of trans and non-binary people’s experiences of menstruation. It found five. From those, it drew four themes: dysphoria and identity; menstrual management “as a turning point”; “managing menstruation in precarious spaces”; and “moving toward an open dialogue”.

A note on words: the sources we cite use their own terms, such as “assigned female at birth”, “AFAB”, “masculine of centre”, “TGD” (transgender and gender diverse) and “women’s washroom”. We keep their words so we report them accurately. In our own words, we say “trans”, “non-binary” and “gender-diverse”, and “period pads”. The Reading Room is for everyone who menstruates.

Washrooms, wrappers and bins

Much of the difficulty is not the period. It is where you have to deal with it.

In a 2016 study of masculine-of-centre and transgender people, “Many participants said that they try to avoid public restrooms during menstruation because of practical and psychological concerns.”

In a New York study, trans and non-binary participants named the design of public toilets as a barrier: “gaps in cubicle doors and lack of in-cubicle menstrual product disposal bins”. They also named “the social dynamics of public toilets (i.e. work and school)”.

Wrappers can be a worry too. A 2024 review describes a fear of being “‘outed’ by the use of individually wrapped menstrual products (tampons, pads)”.

Where free products are stocked matters as well. Some places stock them in women’s washrooms. If a place you use does that, you can ask whether there is a spot that anyone can reach.

In Canada, one rule addresses part of this. In federally regulated workplaces, Employment and Social Development Canada says “menstrual products must be in all toilet rooms, regardless of their marked genders.” When it announced the rule, the government said it covers workers “including cisgender women, non-binary individuals, transgender men, and intersex individuals.” It is a federal rule only. The Column “Period products at work: the federal rule in Canada” explains who it covers.

Each product type, in community members’ words

Seven short entries, in the Reading Room’s usual order. Each says what the product is, then what community members report. These are people’s own experiences, from forums and studies. They are not recommendations. Community members report that the same product can ease dysphoria for one person and make it worse for another. Where no report was found, the entry says so.

Community members report that the same product can ease dysphoria for one person and make it worse for another.

Binders, packers and heat

Some readers bind or pack. Trans Care BC has a page on binding, packing, tucking and padding. Its binding guidance includes: “Avoid binding for more than eight hours a day.” It also says binding may make you “feel hotter in the summer months or when exercising.” That page does not cover periods.

We looked for a source on wearing a packer with each period product, and did not find one. If you have worked this out, the Editor would like to hear how, in general terms.

Your words for it

Words can make a period feel more or less like yours. In a study of 24 YouTube videos by trans and non-binary creators, and more than 12,000 comments, researchers found that terms like “feminine hygiene” and “women’s health” made people “acutely aware that they fall outside of the ideal of the default menstruator”.

Many reshaped the words. The researchers describe people avoiding feminizing language, reframing periods in masculine terms, and using euphemisms, puns and wordplay. Community members also name a private nickname for the period as a way to cope.

You can call it whatever works for you. For more on the words people use, see “Words for periods around the world”.

Hormones and bleeding

This Column does not cover hormones. Trans Care BC has information on hormones and monthly bleeding. For questions about your own body, talk to a clinician who knows trans health.

What this is not

This Column reports what researchers, Canadian health and youth services, and community members say, in their own words. It does not recommend or rank any product. Community members’ reports are their own experiences, not advice. It does not cover hormones or any treatment. Most of the research it cites is from the United States, and the studies are small.