Men, when did you learn about periods?

I was reading the thread "Pads and tampons, how did you learn" for women and it got me thinking about when did I (a male) learn about periods. Since that thread is for women, I started this one. Funny, I cannot remember when I first leaned that females have periods of it, or my reaction. The closest thing I remember is going through my older sister's fountain syringe box and reading about douching. There was a small leaflet in the box mentioning something about proper douching needs to stretch open all the vagina wall folds. For some reason that kind of grossed me out - but did it mention anything about douching after a period? So curious when/how other men learned about these things (periods, douching, pads, sanitary belts, tampons etc.), or if they can even remember.

I was around 13, we had moved to a new apartment and my mother sent me to small neighborhood grocery shop (really small, think like pre WWI style) to buy pads. There was a brand-name for menstrual pads in Belgium that was sort of generic back then. It was 'Kotex'. Hard to pronounce if you stuttered like I did back then.

My mother sent me without much explanation and I stuttered and stuttered like a fool before I got the word out. My younger sister was with me and she literally kicked me in the leg to get the word out of my mouth. I was stared at by other customers (I think in merriment but I was so red in the face I had no way of telling). My sister later filled in some of the details what they were for.

My mother often sent me out for the things, which I most decidedly did not like one bit.

Junior high for me. I had two older sisters and Kotex and tampons boxes were in the bathroom, often saw a pad rolled up it toilet paper in the waste basket. And no, I didn’t unravel them to see. Kinda grossed me out at the time!

My earliest masturbation experiences when I was 12-13 involved unfolding my mother's used, wrapped sanitary napkins in the bathroom trash. I was so turned-on by the scent, and dampness. I would then use an unused napkin to rub against my penis to help me cum. Quite often I would cum inside the unused napkin, then wear it underneath my underpants so I could continue to feel my own cum wetness, and fantasize that I was having "my" period!

Rigel: And no, I didn’t unravel them to see. Kinda grossed me out at the time!

As much as do not seeing used pads (grosses me out as well); ironically, seeing a gal wearing spotlessly clean belted pad really excites me. The sanitary belt seems like the forerunner of today's thong; yet, considering the way the sanitary belt was disliked, the popularity of thongs is very surprising.

My first memory of periods was seeing mom wear her sanitary belt and Kotex. She made no secret, although didn't flaunt, the issue. I was curious and talked with a couple friends. Interestingly, the most I learned was from a female cousin. She never showed me hers but let me touch it through her shorts. I know mom took enemas for menstrual cramps and always douched after her periods. I was a sneaky little bugger. Have always been fascinated by the female body and its workings.

My sister was a year younger than I and I found the pamphlet she got telling about periods. And i always wondered why we only got enemas through the red bag. never the yellow bag. Then I found out the yellow was mom's douche bag

While I had some inkling of what they were in elementary school but I was aware of some generalities. But in 7th grade I attended a health class (divided by sex). There beside explaining the process with diagrams, we boys got to see and handle tampons and napkins.

Funny story... My son attended a progressive school that introduced the 4th graders (both genders) to bodily functions. I was driving carpool (all boys) the day they learned about periods and the trappings. It was clear he and other carpool buddies were a little weirded out by the topic. They shared that it sounded terrible, cramps and blood, etc. I listened to them telling me about it and it donned on me that they thought that was in their future too. I said "You guys realize only girls have periods, right?" My son said, "Really, not guys? Whew, cool. High-5 dad!"

I was probably about 8. We used to play in the old bomb sites in London as kids, and occasionally we would come across a used "jamrag" as we used to call them. I can only assume ladies were getting caught short, or engaging in sex and replacing them in the bombed buildings.

It was common knowledge among us kids what they were, but where that actual knowledge came from, I'm not sure. Probably older siblings being asked.

In grade 3, someone found a coupon for menstrual pads on the playground and we boys were jacking around passing it back and forth. Somehow, it ended up in my pocket, which my mother found when she was doing the laundry. First, she asked me if I'd brought it home for her and then she explained periods and what it was for. Embarrassing. But, in retrospect, she did quite a good job.

Growing up in a house with a mom and both an older and a younger sister by the time I got to junior high school there was no shortage of feminine items in our one bathroom. At about that same time I was on a junior high football team and if we had an away game the standard practice was for the visiting team to use the girl's locker room. It was the first time that I ever saw a Kotex vending machine, but did know what napkins were.