Woman Calls Husband 'Inconsiderate' & 'Sexist' After He Refuses To Buy Her Tampons — 'I Am Not Comfortable Making Such Purchases'
He claimed that buying tampons or pads should be something only his wife does.
A husband is being labeled as "immature" after his wife asked him to run a simple errand for him that apparently made him feel uncomfortable. Posting to the subreddit "r/AITA," the 31-year-old man claimed that his wife had asked him to go to the store and get her some necessities, which proved to be an issue.
The man refused to buy tampons for his wife because it was 'embarrassing.'
In his Reddit post, he explained that his wife had asked him to go to the drugstore to pick up a few things that they were running low on. When he agreed to go, she also asked if he could pick her up some tampons as well.
"I had never done it before as she's usually the one who makes such purchases. I got kind of uncomfortable and asked her whether she can't buy it herself, and she said it would be much easier if I buy it myself as I am going anyway," he shared.
His wife pointed out that it would make no sense for her to have to go to the store afterward, and asked him if he had an issue with her request for tampons. He told her that as a guy, it would look weird if he was walking around the drugstore to pick up tampons and eventually buying them, claiming that it made him uncomfortable since it was a thing meant for women to do.
"I made it clear that some of the medicines I was going to buy [were] also meant for her, so it's not as if I don't care about her," he continued. "And she was the one who's been buying such stuff for so long anyway."
His wife then accused him of being 'inconsiderate' and 'sexist.'
In response, his wife got upset and called him, accusing him of being both inconsiderate and sexist for refusing to buy period products just because it would negatively affect his ego.
"She said that no matter what I said, I don't care about her and that I don't deserve to call myself a man or her husband as I won't help her," he recalled. He rebutted, telling his wife that she was "overreacting" and that if she had an issue with his decision, she could go to the store and buy them herself.
"She wasn't even incapable of getting it, she was going to work and could have bought it the same day and absolutely nothing would have been affected," he added
Photo: Reddit
Many people agreed that he was being unreasonable by refusing to buy tampons for his wife.
"Everyone is aware that women menstruate. It's a bodily function that is part of our daily life and there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed by. Do you have the same reaction buying toilet paper?" one Reddit user pointed out.
Another user added, "There’s literally nothing wrong with buying them. No mature adult will see that and make fun of you. It just means you have a woman in your life and doing right by her. You need to grow up."
"You’re an adult running an errand. You have a female partner who menstruates. It is both logical, as making another trip would cost unnecessary time and money, and the considerate thing as it saves your partner some effort and makes her life a little easier," a third user chimed in.
Just as many Reddit users mentioned in the comments, menstruating is such a normal and natural process that affects half of the world's population. There is no reason for anyone, including men, to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable when dealing with menstrual products.
It's important that in any relationship, you have consideration for your partner's needs, and even if it might seem like such a little thing, willingly taking on the task of purchasing these products can offer men a chance to alleviate some of the inconvenience and discomfort their partners may experience during their period. It can even strengthen the emotional bond in a relationship!
By men, such as the one who wrote the Reddit post, challenging traditional gender stereotypes, especially when it comes to buying tampons and pads, it can help create a more inclusive and compassionate society, where no one should ever feel embarrassed or judged for performing these acts of care and support for their partners.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.