Woman laughs at roomie who says 'you can't shower on your period,' finds out he's serious.

If you've ever lived with roommates, then you already know just how weird it can get to share your living space with an acquaintance. All the little quirks that you regularly don't have to learn about someone, or reveal about yourself, are now all on display, and the tension can get quite high.

In a popular post on the AITA subreddit, a woman asked if she was wrong for laughing at her housemate when he suggested she not shower on her period. She wrote:

"AITA for laughing at my housemate when he suggested I not shower on my period?"

I've (31F) live in a share-house. One of the housemates Jack (M30) has never lived with a woman outside of his mom but likes to say he is "aware" of women's issues and calls himself a feminist. For instance, he doesn't agree with the saying "no uterus no opinion" because "It's my job to be informed about any issues that could affect me if I become a father or husband." Which is fine until it came to this issue.

So, like most women, I have periods. I however, cannot use tampons or cups due to a condition called vaginismus. It's pads all the time for me - yay. I also (I know, the shock!) shower during this time! Wow! I prepare a new pad onto a clean pair of undies, shower as normal, dry myself off in the shower, and then step straight into the undies. And obviously, check the bathroom for mess.

Jack's never complained - nor has anyone else, so I figured my "system" was working. Cue today; and I can't shower for 48 hours due to a heart monitor test. I was jokingly complaining about how I was going to "survive" without my nightly shower and Jack looked up confused and said "How is this any different to when you're on your period?"

I asked him what he meant and he said "well, you can't shower on your period unless you use a tampon" and I laughed because I thought he was joking - he has shown before that he was at least SEMI educated on women - which he got angry at. Jack said "wait - well what do you do?" and I said slowly "I shower?" - I wasn't getting it I'm afraid. Jack said "without protecting MY bathroom?"

(He does not own the house) and then went off. Apparently, my period is unhygienic, it can cause infection if left on the shower floor, and he was under the impression I hadn't been showering for a week when I had my period or using tampons.

I said that due to reasons I can't use tampons and he told me then I'm "banned" from showering when I'm on my period which I laughed again at which I did apologize for and say "I'm sorry for laughing - but the audacity of that statement." I told Jack he has no way of enforcing this - nor would I be sticking to this, and he said "fine."

Then every time you shower, you need to bleach the bathroom afterwards" to which I couldn't help but laugh again - apologizing - but saying "We're in a share-house. That's not reasonable when other people need to shower/use the toilet, and considering I'm sure at least SOMEBODY else pees in the shower, is ridiculous to only enforce on me."

I brought that up and he said "nobody does that - I've never heard of that in my life." So I just had to walk away. Jack's been complaining to other housemates about this and saying that we need to "watch out for me" and we all just think he's absurd for 'banning' me, but a couple think that I should just at least try and compromise so I'm confused. AITA?

People did not hold back their feelings on this whole situation.

Expensive-Day-3551 wrote:

NTA. I’m surprised he doesn’t ask you to go into a special hut in your “unclean” time.

Heloise_Morris wrote:

NTA. Buy your "well-informed, feminist" roommate a book about menstruation and a pair of flip-flops or water shoes so he won't be contaminated by your "unhygienic" period. Meanwhile, remind him to stop "rubbing one off" in the shower.

Boss_Bitch_Werk wrote:

NTA. He’s more than welcome to bleach the tub right before he showers though. Because he will NEVER know when you’re on your period again. Keep him guessing as to whether you’re menstruating or not so he can bleach the tub every time he uses it. It’s a win win. He gets to have an “uncontaminated” shower and everyone else gets a super disinfected and clean tub!

bythebrook88 wrote:

The obvious solution is Jack doesn't use the shower when you have your period. He's the one with the problem.

Mrs_N2020 wrote:

NTA! And there is no compromise here, he’s a child plain and simple. It will always astound me the way some men (immature men) act and react to the very normal bodily process of a period. News flash guy- OP has been showering on her period this whole time and you never had a clue!

So clearly there is no problem here, it wasn’t hurting you when you didn’t know and it will continue that way. This guy sounds like such a loser.

OP is fully NTA for having a normal human body, but Jack has some serious growing up to do.