Kayner - since you're ready to discuss it like a human being, I won't "eat you alive" :). I think I can speak for a majority of professional women when I say we are different at work than we are at home.

You have a vested interest (hubbies) in our well-being and happiness and our contribution to your OWN happiness as well. Our employers don't care about happiness, in general, except as it applies to productivity.

We are honest with you about our feelings, we do NOT invite our employers into our private lives in general. I can't speak for all women on this point, but I know that (not every month, but occasionally, when I get PMS, PMDD, whatever the hell they're calling it now)... I consciously try harder to moderate my behavior.

I hunker down, pop midol/advil ever few hours and don't do anything BUT work.

There are some women that have excrutiating periods (my best friend is one and has sought medical help to ease the pain), but she's not irritable then, just in agony - and they're part of the EXCEPTION population, not the norm.

Women who take "advantage" of men's trepidation about menstrual cycles are selfish and give the rest of us a bad name.

I really think, if you could be a fly on the wall at your wife's work, you would see a very different woman than the one at home that lets you in to see her real feelings, fears, anxiety and joy.

There are still men who think it's ok to ask, if we get frustrated or angered by anything, "Whoa, is it that time of the month again?" Because that's the default response when we're not quiet, content, etc. Men can complain around the water cooler about "this d&&&&ebag" and "that jack&&&" and never be asked if their hormones are elevated.

I've never had anyone ask me if I'm feeling ok when I'm on my cycle, but I've had male co-workers and bosses come in with breath still smelling like alcohol (aka - not hungover - still drunk). I'm pretty sure I was more productive, and I only cycle once a month while they drink every week.

And I agree with Summer below... short of doubling over pain that you CAN'T treat with pain relievers, it's ALL ABOUT CHARACTER, not gender.

Funny I didn't know I was immortal. This is news to me.

Apparently hemophiliacs shouldn't be trusted either. Who knew.
Now stop being a troll.

Andrew...were you born from a test-tube? If not, Your mother bled for days and didn't die. Then she stopped bleeding for the nine months it took to gestate you.

I had two daddies so I had to be born in a test tube.

Andrew, wow didn't realize a man could have a baby. Yes, I understand two men can raise a child. But a woman still had to carry and deliver the baby.

you sound pretty emotional, want to lay down a bit and relax may be eat some chocolate. home is home and work is work two different places two different requirements and woman have a handle on both.

Well, Kayner, it's a fact that most people act differently at home, with the people they are most comfortable with, than they do in the workplace. I will be totally honest and say that around my "time of the month" I have a much btcier attitude but I have NEVER expose it in front of a client or customer. In my head I might be thinking how stooopid they are, but I know the difference between what is acceptable in a professional situation and what is not. And, we recently had a guy fired for not knowing the difference and had another written up for it. What's their excuse for acting that way?

Andrew - from your posts, it seems you have other issues with women. There is a hint of bitterness/anger there. Been outdone by a woman?

My posts about living in Africa and having two dads? No, honey. I've been outdone by many a good woman (you're not one of them), and one thing I've learned about everyone (men, women, white, black, green) is that the complaining never stops. If it isn't this your complaining about it will be something else....just like the man in the article complaining about women. It is the world. I know its not fair, sugar, but it is the world. Best you grow up and get used to life.

Anyone who was whining about Hillary's period is seriously uneducated. I doubt she still has one.

andrew you are a troll.....go back to sleep

No Andrew, not your posts about living in Africa and having two dads. You know what you said and you don't even stand by it. You toss out an offensive, glib comment (Don't trust anything that bleeds for three days and doesn't die.) and then try to back pedal as if you are only being reasonable. Sounds like you need to get over it!

So people with clotting issues such as hemophilia shouldn't be trusted? Also, I hate to inform you of this but it's not blood like you would get if you cut yourself. It's just a cyclical shedding of uterine tissue that has built up. Since an egg hasn't implanted, all that excess tissue build up is no longer needed and is flushed out (since it would rot otherwise). It's not as if we suddenly sprout a leak down there.

Andrew- Can you say "uneducated"? Because that is what you are. When women are on their monthly cycle, they bleed about 2 tablespoons of blood a day, definitely not an artery. Not like it is leaving puddles behind us as we walk down the street. Moron!

Ladies, your really need to relax, dig down deep into yourselves and find your sense(s?) of humor. Haven't you ever before heard the quip, "Don't trust anything that bleeds (insert number of days) and doesn't die?" Trust me, Andrew didn't invent that saying.

I would except it's actually not that funny...

It usually garners an eyeroll or a slap on the knee, though, LadyAnnabelle. It just seems as if some of the previous responders to Andrew's comment were taking it too literally. I'm willing to bet that he didn't require a biology lesson as to why women don't bleed to death during their menstrual cycles.

Sometimes I'm glad that I work with mostly men.

I'm going to assume if you said something like that around your mother or grandmother they wouldn't have found it funny either.

All it caused for me was an eye roll. And my boyfriend was disgusted. It's just really not all that clever or funny. I'm not even sure what you're trying to get at in fact. What are we supposed to be, some kind of monster that doesn't die? I'm actually being entirely serious. I don't even understand what you're trying to say with that "joke".

Hehe, Andrew's quote always gets a giggle from me because I have some condition (we haven't figured out just what it is yet) that causes me to bleed basically 365 days a year with a week off here and there. I shouldn't be trusted at any cost! XD

As a stress inducer, just being the only male in an office full of females was hard enough. Bad moods, drama, bickering about petty things, mood swings, backstabbing, gossip, immature behavior and blame shifting made for one of the most hostile workplaces I have ever had the displeasure of enduring. I made it a point that when I left that place that I would do my best to find a predominantly male dominated career field, so that I wouldn't have to put up with that immature behavior again. From personal experience female bosses I've had lie to coworkers regularly, steal ideas, and set up people (including me) for termination. Men will actually communicate there problems with coworkers or subordinates, and in most cases are less deceptive, and in some cases even take responsibility for failures attributed to them. Now granted in all these cases, most of these women only had a high school education, and thats where they stopped maturing socially. Most of the female bosses I worked under had gotten the job through nepitism, and were unqualified for the position they were in. I only had one woman I ever worked for that earned her position through time and hard work, and she was knew her stuff, she had a bad attitude, but she knew her stuff. An office full of men will always get along better and work together better than an office full of females, or a co-ed office.

It's rarely wise to assume,LadyAnnabelle. With my mother and sister, it usually garnered an eyeroll when she'd hear me, my father, brother, or one of her students make such a comment. Both of my grandmothers have been dead for years, but I have a feeling that both would have had my mother's reaction, especially my paternal grandmother who was one of the few women in her place of work. To boot, I can almost guarantee that my maternal great-grandmother, would also have had the same reaction. (She, upon having a hysterectomy, quipped that the surgeon had "taken out the baby carriage, but left the playground." From what I understand, she was far from being uptight in any way, shape,or form.) What I'm trying to get at is that an eyeroll and maybe, just maybe, a "hmmmph" of minor disgust is the most that Andrew's comment should have received, not a stream of feminine vitriol with a bonus bio lesson.

Period "mood swings" aside, is anyone actually refuting his statements?

I can guarantee women call out more often than men at my work. At least one of the receptionists (we have 3) calls out once a week. The one woman chemical engineer at my work constantly "works from home" on Fridays, but is never online.

And, yes, when women have a baby, they cost the company time and money, and someone has to pick up the slack or else the projects grind to a halt. Like it or not, men don't have to deal with that for the most part.

I'm so sick of someone telling the actual truth, and being chastised for it. Does this sum up every person in the world? No. But most of what he said is the truth people! Go Google the Dept. of Labor study on benefits coverages for men/women, they take 31% more sick leave per year.

And @ Randy!

You are right, they f^&%ing hate each other and complain to the men about every other female!

Randy- I don't know what office you work in, but I've known males to be just as underhanded, gossipy, passive aggressive, backstabbing liars. It really has to do with the people, not the gender. Men and women both can be equally nasty. I've met some seriously unpleasant people from both sides. I'm also curious as to the definition of a bad attitude. Someone said I had a bad attitude once because I'm fond of sarcasm.

Pchef- Your grandmother making jokes about her lady parts is one thing, because they are in fact hers. And the reason people took it so seriously when he made the joke? Look at the context. There are clearly people who BELIEVE that sort of thing. That it is NOT a joke to them, as this article clearly proves. Can you see why we might not be so kind when someone has already made an attack on the way our bodies work? The guy in this article justified not paying women as much because of it.

It would be like someone paying men only half their wage because they only think with their big head half the time. You might be a bit touchy about that, especially if there were people out there who agreed with this decision as being a good one.

In short, men put in more unpaid hours on the job, making them more economical even at the same pay rate. So, it's no surprise that men command premium pay rates over women in general. Women cost more overall, paying less in taxes while using a majority of government services.

We weren't discussing the article, but Andrew's comment, LadyAnnabelle. I doubt that few men, at least American men who have been through health class at some point during their school years or have lived with a female human being believe that women are some sort of strange monsters that don't die despite bleeding for a few days each month. You say that you're fond of sarcasm, but your previous replies seem to point to the contrary. I'll grant you this, the executive whom the article is about seems to be a misogynistic idiot. However I will also add that often, but not always, one of main the reasons why women make less than men is because men are more aggressive when negotiating initial pay scale and subsequent raises in pay. Too often females expect that the good work that they do will be noticed by the powers that be and rewarded. They often underestimate their abilities and undersell themselves during the hiring process, thinking that once their foot is in the door the money will come in time. It rarely works that way. This has to do with not so much as sexism as much as it has to do with the bottom line. Why pay an employee more than you have to, especially if they've not asked for an initial higher salary or an increase in pay during their annual review? Also, there is a priority shift when a woman chooses to have children. Sometimes it affects the tangent of her career, especially if she chooses to off-ramp to spend time with her children for a few years. Some women can manage the work/personal life balancing act, but many cannot. I can discount the attitude of the man in the article in regards to the menstrual cycle as general b.s., but there is more than a nugget of truth in what he stated in regards to women and childbearing/rearing. Once again, before I get flamed with anecdotal evidence of women managing to be Wonder Women Who Can Juggle It All, this doesn't apply to all women in the working world.

It's true that women often do sell themselves short, and are often not taught how to negotiate, or are seen as bitchy or pushy if they do try. But as vincent proved later in the post, it isn't always about that. When someone said they worked harder than any of the men he said bs, that was impossible, must have a cushy job. Couldn't possibly be working harder than men. And that idea is alive and well, as we can see from the article. It's a double standard. It's easy to place a lot of the blame on women for "not fighting hard enough" but in the end of the day, should we really have to go on a crusade to get our equal share? No.

A lot of women, myself included, believe that our work out to speak for us, not our egos or how much we blab about ourselves. And honestly, which is the better system for pay? If a woman isn't putting in her hours then yes, her pay should be appropriate, but no one here is asking for pay they didn't earn. Though as far as the children go, after they're out of the nursing phase (if they nurse) mom AND dad should both be taking equal time out. And the shame is our society doesn't always expect that.

Vincent...what planet do YOU live on? I've certainly done those 60 hour weeks and have had work dumped on me that needed to be finished because moron male couldn't be bothered to do his job and as a salaried worker, I didn't get any overtime pay. I've spent the extra time required to fix the mistakes made by male co-workers, and male supervisors for that matter, to keep them out of hot water ....

Men put in more unpaid time my foot......

Vincent Denali

Yes Vincent, I'm sure it's that... not sexism at all. Whatever you need to tell yourself to justify your completely unfounded beliefs.

Women spend more time in the bathroom then the men do, and they spend more time talking and prettying themselves up in the work place as well. When IO worked in an office at the college in CA. The men spent more time getting the work done than the women. I quit after a few years of dealing with them moaning and complaining about their monthly cycle. Take it up with ypour god if you believe in one, because he/it created you as the religious people claim, don't dump it on my doorstep or office desk.

I do know some women, my Misses as well that never complain about their monthly cycle or pregnancies. Funny how some women like using what was given to them at birth as an excuse to not do their job in the work place. If you can't, then don't bother coming in to work.

Also, when I work at the Pic-N-Save as a CSM, now Big Lots to put myself through college, the women complained about lifting 25 lb boxes and dumped all the heavy work on the men. So much for all that equality they wanted. It went out the window a long time ago for me when a fat woman grabbed me by the back of my shirt and told me "ladies first, men are suppose to open the doors for women". I looked at her and told her to get with the program. You want equality, then you can open the door for a man, and no lady would ever yank on another mans shirt either.

Productivity.... Another study says men have "sexy thoughts" every 52 seconds. Now if I thought about sex that often, i wouldn't be all that productive either.

http://channels.isp.netscape.com/men/package.jsp?name=fte/thinkaboutsex/thinkaboutsex&floc=wn-nx

On the same page it says other gender differences include:

• Women speak 250 words per minute versus the 125 words a minute that are typical for men.
• A woman uses 20,000 words per day, while a man uses only 7,000.
• When boys don't listen to their mothers, there is a reason. He physically cannot hear the same tone of warning.
• Women know what other people are feeling. Men, not so much.

itgranny

Productivity.... Another study says men have "sexy thoughts" every 52 seconds. Now if I thought about sex that often, i wouldn't be all that productive either.

Women are not exempt...

They are just as sexually active and thinking about men just as much.

At the same time, cmon men I heard a lot of comments when Hilary was running about having a woman in office because of her monthly deal.

Shows how much they know. Secretary Clinton is post-menopausal.

With new birth control pills, some women only have periods 3-4 times a year.

And female does not equal 'mother.'

Get a grip, folks.

.

Not Really Kreepy,

After divorce I did not find anyone interesting enough to think about especially not at work. Most of colleges (men or woman) do not even know when you have period. So How do you know when woman's productivity is not the same as any other day?

I don't think women are less productive when they are on their period and I am fully supportive of gender equality. That being said:

Seriously

itgranny, you're gonna go that route?

1 and 2, those numbers could easily indicate that men are much more effective at communication than women. 3 could show that boys at a young age learn to ignore nagging from their mother. 4 is false. Men usually can tell generally how someone is feeling, we just don't care. I have so much to do at work that I don't have the time to care if I hurt someone's feelings. They'll get over it, and all I care about is getting my/our work done.

I'm so sick and tired of these "studies" showing how worse men are than women. It's ok to conduct a study that "proves" how much better women are than men, but if 1 person hints that men are better there is an uproar.

Let me reiterate that I fully support gender equality. But real equality. Not just equality sometimes.

WOMEN

DO NOT PARTICIPATE in this BS.

How dare a "reputable" news organization ask this question.

It's just like that idiot Katie Couric asking Sarah Palin what magazines she reads.

BOYCOTT THIS PIECE OF BS.

Oh, Lord. Enough generalizations, people. Women and Men are too different to waste time squabbling over who is better. You're born one or the other and why should anyone have to defend the strengths or weaknesses of their respective gender? Your ACTIONS and CHOICES should dictate how you're regarded as a human being, not your gender. Pay should be dictated by personal performance and nothing more. Sweeping generalizations do a disservice to EVERYONE. They're insulting, small minded and divisive.

I know a lot of hardworking, responsible men and women. I also know a lot of lazy, irresponsible men and women. You are the person you choose to be.

What a dumb question MSNBC.

Karen,

You apparently didn't read the article.

The title of the article is referring to comments that a CEO in New Zealand made.

Sure, let's boycott the article and not comment - let's let everyone just think it is true.

Too funny...Karen in Los Angeles...cracks me up!

Exactly. I never have, and never will, play the menstruation card. I don't call in sick unless I am genuinely sick. It's a matter of integrity. You either have it, or don't.

And I know plenty of men that abuse company time for their own personal pursuits. It's nothing to do with gender.

Same here. I am 45 and never missed work because of it.

Actually, women generally don't mate with men who would do those things.

That's why you don't see very many of them.

Maybe women need to adjust their mating habits a little.

You complain about how men are "pigs", but you continue to choose them as mates.

There is a dichotomy in how women choose their mates.

Want more sensitive, caring men? How about choose a stay-at-home dad who raises the kids while you're free to pursue a career.

Oh, but that doesn't turn you on.

Not that men are any better. We all have evolutionary baggage.

Just tryin' to bring some light to our common shared hypocrisy.

...actually I never said men were pigs. And I don't have any problem with my mate. And I think women should straighten out their mates if it does come to that. If women or men want to stay at home and raise kids, I really don't care, as long as it's what they want and their spouse is accepting of it because it makes them happy.

I just don't believe that men should try and cut women off at the knees in careers and imply that they are too fragile or emotionally unstable to work in the business world. Which is what the guy said.

Oh, I know, the guy is a total retard. It amazes me that such neanderthals still exist.

It's a sick sad world we live in. People are so obsessed with competition it's become a neurosis. So obsessed with defining precise gender roles that no one knows, or is allowed to self-determine, who they are anymore.

I haven't much faith in humanity in general. But I tempt everyone to expand beyond their cultural programming.

Actually we have expanded our idea of gender equality considerably. Women are probably more equal to men now than they ever were, but there are people like this who remind us we still have a long, long way to go. Not everyone has obviously changed their mind about women. So we have to keep fighting and reminding men not to treat us like lower class citizens. This is just an example of that.

iPan... I'm my hubby's sugar momma and neither of us could be happier.

You heard the new phrase "Girls make passes at guys who wash glasses"? That's us.

It still goes back to a character thing. When there's not a "share" of parenting, that's the couple's fault for not figuring each other out well before they a) went on the 5th date, b) moved in together, c) got married, d) started procreating.

If people decide on being good parents, they'll raise children to be good people (barring society's "muck it uppedness" getting in the way). These good people will then react as we did to these comments... knowing their mother and father both picked them up, sharing in the responsibility.

But punishing EITHER parent for time off for their children still happens. It's getting a little bit better as time goes by, but it's still a generation away from Western Europe's approach to parents in the workplace (I know, I know... I'm not saying it's perfect, but there are things we could implement to model after them without losing our American work ethic).

My hubby does dishes, laundry, vacuuming, car work, yard work, crafts with the kid, walks the dog... and NONE of it with a bodybuilder's physique in only an apron - and he's the drrrrrrop dead sexiest beast I've ever met!

you know I am really tired of that excuse. Yeah, life sucks for women in other countries too, so by your logic we should ignore discrimination here because it's not as important. If you care about women's rights that much, then you ought to fight for it anywhere and everywhere, be in equal pay in one country or just the right to work in another. That's being fair.

So until you decide to fight for along us ladies everywhere, you best keep your lips sealed.

I have fought for the rights of African women. Everyone woman around the world (except Americans) knows how good Americans have it. You have no idea what real discrimination is.

I fail to see your point. We shouldn't HAVE to consider it extra rights or protection or have to relish in how good we have it all the time. It literally should just be our right. That's what things should end up as, that we are sickened by the idea that anyone would infringe on this basic idea of women being equal to men. I'm glad that modern American women don't have to know "what real discrimination is". You seem to think women should have to suffer before they're allowed the rights they should have had to begin with.

One of my bosses blows up every time something happens he doesn't like. Notice I said "he". Everyone looks at him, mutters to themselves then walks away.

Predictable lunacy or unpredictable lunacy, that is the question.

I don't know about anyone else here, but I think lack of sleep is a more weighty deterrent than menstrual cycles--for men and women.

And besides, as any woman who has ever really loved a man can tell you, men are just completely irrational all of the time. There is nothing cyclical about it.

All I'm saying is go take a trip. See the world. Go to Africa, Haiti, China, or the Middle East. Live as a woman there. Then come back and tell us all how rough you've got it.

How about if I start in Europe? Or Australia? How about if I start there, shall I?

I know how rough they have it. But that does not excuse this kind of behavior in a civilized nation that should have gotten past this. This is not acceptable anywhere! American women should be entitled to their rights. Women have fought and fought and fought for them, so the next generation could enjoy them without having to worry about their rights and freedoms being taken away and trampled upon.

I think you've failed to realize why those original groups have to fight for rights. So the next generations can take something so simple for granted. Because it should be granted.

Andrew,

I went to the Middle East last year, visiting countries like Iraq, Syria, I spent days in the Iranian embassy in Istanbul trying to get a visa, and I spent time deep in PKK controlled lands both in Turkey and Kurdistan, I've had tea with Bedouin women in Jordan and Egypt and tried like crazy to get into the West Bank (but when Israel shuts down the border...). I've also been to the harsh northwest lands of China, I've been in villages that have never seen an actual Western person, where homes still have no electricity or running water. While I haven't made it into Africa proper (just Egypt, so far), I am premed and my research that I plan on dedicating my life to will take me into countries like the Congo, Sudan, and Chad, so believe me when I say I know what women the world over go through.

Now you claim you try to help those women, and that you fight for their rights, yet you think that accepting discrimination and double standards is ok for us here in the West? Either your hypocrite or your a fraud poster, I don't know which is worse.

LadyAnnabelle wrote "Our society usually places the burden on women to go pick up sick children, and a lot of work places are understanding about them doing so. "

And society places the burden of income and productivity on men. Wanna trade?

Heck yes I will, raising children is bloody hard. I have been around sick two year olds, and trust me, I will take short deadlines and tough projects any day over a toddler with chicken pox. Any day.

Vincent Denali

LadyAnnabelle wrote "Our society usually places the burden on women to go pick up sick children, and a lot of work places are understanding about them doing so. "

And society places the burden of income and productivity on men. Wanna trade?

While I would rather be the provider then work more in the domestic part of the household I don't think anyone wants there to be a trade as much as a society that allows both men and women to the necessarily time off to pick up children and doesn't have sexist expectations on which one does it.

Why is it impossible for some people to imagine equality? It's like they can only imagine a world where one sex has the power which might explain the strong opposition to equality.

I agree with LadyAnnabelle, totally. I am a single mother and their dads never help out, and don't even work. The entire burden is resting on my shoulders for child rearing and earning an income. I rarely ever miss work because I can't afford the loss of income from the hours I miss. Men are such whiny babies sometimes. When men get off work they can usually have leisure time, but women have to cook, clean, help kids with homework, etc. My day doesn't end until my kids are asleep and it begins as soon as I wake up. My job at work is usually much easier and less stressful than my job at home. I love going to work just so I can have a break!

Spoken like someone who benefits from the assumptions of sexism. Get over it.

Clearly you have never worked on an Indian team--or any other team with people where family is the cultural focus.

You speak like an individual that is lost in some fantasy of the past. Most companies today at least pay lip-service to the idea that family comes first. Even the huge multi-national ones. If men choose to ignore that responsibility it speaks more the character of the man than the organization he works for.

Yeah, but men show up later on Monday (or call in sick with "brown bottle flu") than women do, and waste more time talking about sports, bit*!ing about stuff, and forwarding e-mails of boobs than women do. I'd say the goof-off factor for men and women is about the same, except that "family and children issues" actually have some value, unlike fantasy football.

In my office, the men socialize waaaaaaaaaaaay more than the women do. They'll go to the break room to get a glass of water and be in there for an hour talking about sports! I can guarantee you in my office I can get the same amount of work done in half the time as my male colleagues no matter what day of the month it is. Sure I may chat with my colleagues, but I wait until my work is complete, unlike my male counterparts.

Whatever. I rarely come out of my office, but the guys will get together to shoot the breeze about sports, news events, history or whatever they are interested at the moment. Often it lasts 30 min's to an hour multi times a week. If I leave my office to say hi for 5 minutes I usually get funny looks and then someone will comment they saw me talking and maybe I need to curb it. Totally unfair. I have to be 10 x as well behaved as the guys to get the same respect.

Funny as long as the jerk was fired, yes. Not so funny if this was your boss.

wow, you know something... I more or less agree with you on every point you made. Remember this day. It's not likely to happen for either one of us on this board or any other, ever again. :)

scratch that, they're definitely gone less. a smoker smokes everyday, women have their issue once a month for a couple days.

You haven't been around many women, have you? We do those things when we go to the bathroom....breaks that everyone has to take anyway. It's not something that needs to be done every half hour. Grow up.

3-4 times a day is how often my wife has to change her hygiene products. i don't use the restroom that much at work so she would actually be away from her work more than i would. making stupid statements like "every half hour" when you know it's an absurd statement and not one i made lets me know i'm not the one who needs to "grow up".

also, so you're telling me you can pee on demand or that you wait to change your tampon or whatever till you have to pee? if that's what you're trying to say, bull.

also, so you're telling me you can pee on demand or that you wait to change your tampon or whatever till you have to pee? if that's what you're trying to say, bull.

That, good sir, is none of a man's business. And if bathroom breaks are seriously documented on the company clock as wasting time, industry has become a lot more crazy than I thought. It doesn't take that long, and I think I'm allowed to have to pee 3 or 4 times a day (any less is actually bad for your health and can lead to infection).

it may be none of our business but that doesn't mean it's not true.

Actually yes, HATR.

Due to the wonderful advances in absorbent bandaging material during WWII, women's hygiene products are quite hearty.

You can actually purchase tampons and pads that easily suck up all that flow for at least 8-12 hours.

Most women tend to use these "super" products, but it is usually more comfortable to change them at least every 4-6 hours.

So, unless it is the very start of your period and you were caught unawares (which usually will not happen to someone who is familiar with their body, like a women at least in her 20s), then you are just changing your tampon or pad when you normally go pee.

Even if you don't have a break at work after 2 or so hours, a tampon or pad can easily keep the average woman going until lunch time.

Yes, there are women who bleed so profusely that they need to change a pad or tampon every 2 hours regardless of how absorbent the product is, but these women are rare. And these women should see their doctors about taking a hormonal contraceptive to lessen their monthly flow, if possible.

BTW - I do usually pee on demand as well. I don't just get up and go pee every time my bladder signals me. I can easily wait until an appropriate time to pee.

However, I know that men with prostate problems, which ends up being a whole bunch of men in the 40s and later, tend to have to pee immediately upon the signal and they also have to pee quite often.

So, it is completely possible in the average office full of middle-aged people that the men are going to the restroom more often than the women.

HATR - You are so off base on so many levels. What Cassivella said is absolutely true. Most women don't take restroom breaks any more often during a period. That's just a fact. Even so, you can't even logically assume that a person who uses the restroom 3 times is more productive that a person who goes 5 times. Productivity cannot be measured just by the time spent working. Productivity is measured by what is produced. Some people can get as much done in an hour as others take 2 -3 hours to do.

can't refute what i said so you turn to insults, you're a class act!! no one is talking about other issues cause there are thousands of rebuttals for every one you say about a man. i like sports? you like home design. i like sex? you like looking at family pics. need i go on?

and you couldn't be further from the truth when talking about sports as i don't care about them. video games, yeah, when i get home i'll play some but i'm not dying to do so. sex? i'm married so i've forgotten all about it. future power? now you're really reaching!

i am the most productive person in my office because i am the only one who knows every aspect of every job in my office. the least? a woman, cause she is not willing to do the work she was hired for because it's physical work. which eaves the rest of us men to pick up her slack.

Mike:

I would love to see a poll about your post, something like

"Do you think men are less productive at work due to their thinking of sex and/or looking at internet porn so often during the day?"

or

"Do you think that men are less productive during football season due to fantasy football leagues?"

or

"Do you think men are less productive because they are not as efficient at multitasking as women?"

I of course think these generalizations as silly and derogatory and I think they bare as much weight as this poll we are all commenting on.

Seattle

Yes as an answer to all your poll ideas[its already been done], and its "bear" as much weight.

HATR_HURTER

Quite the misogynist, aren't you? Anyone who says "I'm obviously more productive" usually isn't. But if you were offended by my earlier post, I'm sorry---you're pride is so easily offended.

Oops, now that is the very definition of a Freudian Slip :)

well, when one set of people have an issue that takes up their time and the other doesn't it's easy to assume who will have more time for their work. again though i say, if you can't refute what i'm saying and turn to attempts at insults then you're just a very sad individual. i've heard far worse than anything you could say, and i also know that you only say it cause of the anonymity of the internet. internet tough guy.

HATR - Everyone has refuted your claims, legitimately. The insults are simply added on because you're comments beg for them.

HATR - you may be the most knowledgable in your office, but that doesn't hold true everywhere. In my office, the women are more productive and have more knowledge of the business. In fact, I have made it an action plan since I started at my company to take on new tasks and learn every part of my business. My male colleagues on the other hand, some of whom have worked in the same position for 5 years longer than I have, constantly come to me with questions and/or I consistenly find errors in their work.

Also, it can take them twice as long to complete the same task. I can honestly say that I can complete the same amount of work as my male counterparts in 30 hours a week when it can take them up to 50 hours. The big difference is some of them are more concerned about sports and politics than actually working. I may take time to read/comment on an article or chat with a colleague, but my work is always done on time and error free no matter what day of the month it is.

Hatr: you really need to catch up to the times. You do know that a woman can choose not to have a period at all, right? What possible excuse would you use for sexism then?

I would fire you for TMI and not for being a woman................

you have a very sexist attitude in your generalizations towards men. needs an ego boost when the wife makes more? whatever.

Nonsense. Women are not paid less - they simply do not do the job that men do. If it were clear that women performed the same work as men for a lower pay rate, women would have an advantage in the hiring process. No corporation would hire men.

Daaw that is so adorable! It's like you walked right out of the 50's all confused about the concept that women can do just as good a job on things as men. Tell me what other modern marvels you haven't heard of yet. It's fascinating.

Vincent,

So you think nepotism is a thing of the past? Its ok, I'll let you look it up and you can get back to me.

vincent: you keep telling yourself that...right..."i'm just worth more'...you are (luckily) a dying breed (and hopefullyl have no daughters to pass along that particularly ridiculous form of sexism to).

men don't have to go as often though because we don't have to change them. i know my wife usually has to change 3-4 times a day and i don't go to the bathroom nearly that much.

also, so you're telling me you can pee on demand or that you wait to change your tampon or whatever till you have to pee? if that's what you're trying to say, bull. any woman who says they have never made a special trip to the bathroom to change their tampon or pad only and not to pee is lying through their teeth.

And you know this how? Do you think every woman on the planet is on the same pee and tampon cycle as your wife? Really? And I personally don't know anyone who can't pee on demand. What are you talking about? Not sure you can live in a civilized world without the ability to pee on demand. It's what you do before you get in a car and get in rush-hour traffic. It's what you tell your kids to do before going anywhere. Most moms teach their kids to go potty before leaving the house so they aren't caught out some place needing to potty at an inopportune time.

Yes, believe it or not, women can pee on demand, and they can and do change their hygiene products at that time.

Hatr...obviously what you know about women would fit on the head of a pin with room plenty of room left over.

It's not even menopausal women.

Women in their child-bearing years are now increasingly choosing to not have periods.

There is no medical reason to have a period when you are on birth control pills. Most pills are already limiting the amount of uterine lining that builds up, so you don't need to have a period to release the tissue.

Pills like Seasonale restrict you to 3 or 4 periods a year (I'm working from memory), or you can be on a mono-phasic pill (one where you are just taking one colour of pill throughout the month) and take the pill continuously and not have a period. In the coming years, we are going to be seeing most women who take hormonal contraceptives move towards having fewer or no periods at all.

Not having a period means not having PMS and not having any of the associated hormonal behavioural issues.

So, when (usually) a man at work accuses me of having PMS, I usually let him know the truth - I don't have PMS because I don't have periods. I'm just naturally bitchy.