Men's knowledge of "Women's issues"

openup

Do you think that there is a lack of knowledge amongst men about so called "women's issues"?

It's something I've noticed a lot lately, especially since there has been an increased interest in abortion etc. Men seem to have surprisingly little knowledge about things like contraception, abortion, menstruation etc. Now, I'm not suggesting they need to know on what day of her cycle a woman ovulates but I find it strange that two straight men expressed surprise when I told them that no contraceptive is 100% effective. Another friend of mine posted the statistic that 54% of women who have abortions were on contraception, personally I found this shockingly low but he thought it was surprisingly high and said it changed his opinion on abortion.

Other surprising things I've heard was one guy who didn't realize pregnancy still holds health risks, one who thought women physically can't have sex while menstruating, more than one who thought having sex physically changes women and plenty who didn't realize women took the pill for reasons other than contraception.

These examples mainly come from college educated, straight men, all in and around there 20s, most of whom have/have had serious relationships with women. I would have thought that these things effect men (more specifically men interested in women) too. Has anybody else noticed this lack of knowledge? Do you think men need to know these things? Or do you all think I'm over-reacting?

Now I realize this a generalization and that there are men who perhaps know more than some women but for the purpose of this discussion I'm talking about men in the abstract.

juan.kerr

I would have been aware of all that except this:

openup wrote: »

the pill for reasons other than contraception.

My guesses would be weight loss or something to do with cervical cancer?

TeletextPear

juan.kerr wrote: »

I would have been aware of all that except this:



My guesses would be weight loss or something to do with cervical cancer?

Would be more along the lines of regulating heavy periods, helping to control acne, etc.

Lucyfur

juan.kerr wrote: »

I would have been aware of all that except this:



My guesses would be weight loss or something to do with cervical cancer?

More-so for women who have heavy periods, quite often for regulation of periods too...which I don't fully understand, as it's not classed as a ''period'' when on the pill...


My bf knows everything I know. He's learned a lot in the last few years

Hurricane Carter

You're overreacting.

The interest you speak of on men's behalf has little to do with 'women's issues' and more to do with sex and they know what they need to know for the time being.

Anything else, I'm sure they'll learn whilst in a relationship.

People learn in due course. I know what I need to know. Nothing more, nothing less.

NegativeCreep

I dont get this at all. All the men I know would know just as much about these matters as the women I know!

Morag

Such things are not taught for the most part in the majority of secondary schools in the country so unless their parents teach them or a partner teaches them or they set out to learn for themselves or they have sisters who teach them, it's possible for a bloke to remain pretty oblivious.

rainbowtrout

I teach agricultural science for leaving cert and regularly come across boys, when I am doing reproduction in animals, who think that the reproductive system and urinary system in females are one and the same thing and that females use their vaginas to urinate.

This has happened me on more than one occasion and it's not for lack of educating them at junior cert level. I think realistically as excited as many students are when they see the reproductive chapter in the book (many giggles and sniggers) that many of them switch off and don't absorb what they are being taught.

I first came across this problem when I was teaching how to synchronise heat cycles in sheep (it involves leaving a sponge soaked in hormones in the ewe's vagina, it's left in for 2 weeks, when it's taken out she comes into heat within 2 days, but I digress).

The comment I got when I explained this was 'how is a sheep supposed to piss for the 2 weeks the sponge is in?' A lot of lads believe (at that age anyway) that periods only last a few hours at most based on what they believe of how reproduction/urination work.

These leaving cert boys at the age of 17 believed the same of women, so I assume at this stage they know nothing when I am teaching them and throw a bit of human reproduction in when I am teaching animal reproduction hoping that it will prove to be useful to them and their girlfriends in the future.

I must add that it's not all boys, but there are a considerable number and many of them have an attitude that they don't need to know and are dismissive of it because it doesn't affect their lives on a day to day level.

Tasden

Well in all fairness I don't know much about men's issues either!
Don't see why men would need to know about ours unless that was an issue for you personally in which case you can do the teaching I suppose.

openup

I Am Kong! wrote: »

You're overreacting.

The interest you speak of on men's behalf has little to do with 'women's issues' and more to do with sex and they know what they need to know for the time being.

Anything else, I'm sure they'll learn whilst in a relationship.

People learn in due course. I know what I need to know. Nothing more, nothing less.

That's the thing though. I would consider this stuff that everyone needs to know or should have learned through their relationship. I would consider it imperative to understand contraception before having sex and not just think condom=no babies.
Or, speaking generally, the girls in my circle of friends are well verse of STDs whereas most of the boys I know say they've never been tested, brushing it off as "I use a condom most of the time" or "well, I never have any symptoms so..."

Perhaps my male friends are just a little slow! :pac:

Lyaiera

As a pure matter of knowledge of course everyone should know. This is something that effects pretty much everyone, whether it's happening to you or someone you know. I doubt there's a single man in the world who will go through his life without being close to a woman, even if they have no intentions of every having an intimate relationship with a woman. If someone I know is dealing with something on a routine basis I'd want to know. Simply because that's part of being a good person.

miamee

I think the level of séx education provided varies enormously from school to school so some people will be fairly well versed on the basics while others will be clueless leaving school. Coming from a suburb in Dublin where teen pregnancy was a big issue we were taught everything about séx and basics of contraception including how to put on condoms. Having spoken to friends who went to school in other counties, this was apparently not the norm by a long shot. Hopefully it has improved since then (early 90s).

Regarding men knowing the ins and outs of the pill etc. I would think that is something they will learn the most about through experience with a gf. They don't really *need* to know that it might be prescribed for hormone issues, heavy periods, acne etc. in my opinion.

ted1

I think its funny that your stereotyping 50% of the population, some guys don't have a clue, just like some girls don't have a clue.

openup

ted1 wrote: »

I think its funny that your stereotyping 50% of the population, some guys don't have a clue, just like some girls don't have a clue.

I'm not stereotyping anyone. I clearly stated in my first post that there are men who know more and women who know next to nothing. But generally speaking, at least in the circles I move in, most of the men seem "under-educated". When I say "men" I'm speaking in the generally.

frozenfrozen

It's not that these men you speak of haven't been educated, or that they giggled their way through biology, it's just that these "women's issues" are...women's issues..

Two sides to this.... men just don't complain that women don't know enough. Excuse my slight generalizations

frozenfrozen, I've edited the unnecessary from your post. Feel free to PM me if you have any issue with this.

confusticated

I don't think this:

openup wrote: »

two straight men expressed surprise when I told them that no contraceptive is 100% effective.

is a women's issue to be honest. I mean, I wouldn't be that bothered about men not knowing how bra sizes work for example, but stuff like how to prevent pregnancy? Knowing that if a girl has a vomiting bug the pill might not work? That's stuff that everyone should know for practical reasons!

openup

frozenfrozen wrote: »

It's not that these men you speak of haven't been educated, or that they giggled their way through biology, it's just that these "women's issues" are...women's issues..

Two sides to this.... men just don't complain that women don't know enough. Excuse my slight generalizations

See that's the thing. Whatever about periods, I certainly don't think contraception and pregnancy should be just considered women's issues. Obviously pregnancy and abortion don't effect men in the same way but they still do.

Also, while obviously I can't tell you what I don't know, I would feel I know enough about male genitalia and the problems that they come with...though I do have one female friend who didn't know what a foreskin was, which is pretty shocking. :pac:


Quote edited

NegativeCreep

openup wrote: »

I'm not stereotyping anyone. I clearly stated in my first post that there are men who know more and women who know next to nothing. But generally speaking, at least in the circles I move in, most of the men seem "under-educated". When I say "men" I'm speaking in the generally.

I don't think it's possible to talk about 50% of the population generally.

Eve_Dublin

More sex education is needed in Ireland for both males and females. Religion needs to be taken out of it.

frozenfrozen

confusticated wrote: »

I don't think this:


is a women's issue to be honest. I mean, I wouldn't be that bothered about men not knowing how bra sizes work for example, but stuff like how to prevent pregnancy? Knowing that if a girl has a vomiting bug the pill might not work? That's stuff that everyone should know for practical reasons!

I know a girl who until quite recently actually believed having sex in the sea was a 100% efficient form of contraception. There are always a few idiots knocking about...

I know hopefully everything I need to know. I'm not saying I don't need to know it or men in general don't need to know, but you can't blame someone if they just simply haven't been taught something yet. The pill is also commonly referred to as a contraceptive pill. Isn't it somewhat logical to assume that this magical contraceptive pill is a contraceptive all of the time?

Knowing how to do DIY is also practical, but that doesn't mean every woman man or child who can't put a table together should have a thread made about them stating that they can't put a table together, regardless of if they have been taught or not, they should just know since it's so practical.

It's this sort of thing that creates the whole "woman's problems" thing, that men are afraid to ask since they'll get their hand bitten off for not knowing.

Strawberry Fields

confusticated wrote: »

Knowing that if a girl has a vomiting bug the pill might not work? That's stuff that everyone should know for practical reasons!

While I agree this information is useful are you honestly expecting men to read the instructions that come with the pill? Surely in that situation the woman would have the cop to point this out having read them herself?

confusticated

I'm not saying someone is an idiot for not knowing that, obviously everyone has to learn this stuff sometime. (The girl with the sea story...dear god. I don't know how that happened.) I doubt I know everything (even just the practicalities, ignoring the science of how they work) of any contraceptives other than what I use tbh. But I've asked about them and found out enough to choose one.

And sure, knowing how to make a table is very practical. And obviously, table-making has to be taught too - I never said anyone should "just know" anything! However, not knowing how to make a table doesn't have consequences as serious not knowing how not to make a baby, or catching an STI. For their own health, men should ask this stuff. And if a woman "bites his hand off for not knowing" then tbh maybe sex shouldn't be happening between them.

sam34

frozenfrozen wrote: »

but you can't blame someone if they just simply haven't been taught something yet.

when it comes to sex, contraception and possible conception, shouldn't responsible adults, both male and female, seek out this information for themselves, instead of passively waiting to be taught?

if you're mature enough to be having sex you should be mature enough to educate yourself about the potential consequences and how to lessen/prevent them.

realgirl

godeas16 wrote: »

While I agree this information is useful are you honestly expecting men to read the instructions that come with the pill? Surely in that situation the woman would have the cop to point this out having read them herself?

I presume you're joking or trolling. Contraception is the responsibility of every individual who is having sex. I know many blokes tend to leave it up to the woman but their health and plans for their own lives are their responsibility and no-one else's.

LeeHoffmann

I teach agricultural science for leaving cert and regularly come across boys, when I am doing reproduction in animals, who think that the reproductive system and urinary system in females are one and the same thing and that females use their vaginas to urinate.

:eek:

I do have one female friend who didn't know what a foreskin was

:eek:

I know a girl who until quite recently actually believed having sex in the sea was a 100% efficient form of contraception

:eek:

Well I´m shocked. Who tells these people these things? I think parents and teachers have a duty to teach people about contraception, pregnancy and STD´s so that the silly myths are dispelled and so that everyone knows things like -no contraception is 100% effective, what forms of contraception exist, how they work, the risks they entail, the causes, symptoms, effects and treatment options for various STD´s, and the health risks pregnancy poses. They should also know a little about the laws on abortion and parental rights. That all seems like necessary info IMO and I think a lot of people (adults included) -both male and female - don´t have this info. Other things like alternative reasons for taking the pill are not essential info for men and I think most would learn it when they start having serious relationships.

Morag

godeas16 wrote: »

While I agree this information is useful are you honestly expecting men to read the instructions that come with the pill? Surely in that situation the woman would have the cop to point this out having read them herself?

I've given mine to past partners for them to read.

THall04

rainbowtrout wrote: »

I teach agricultural science for leaving cert and regularly come across boys, when I am doing reproduction in animals, who think that the reproductive system and urinary system in females are one and the same thing and that females use their vaginas to urinate.


I first came across this problem when I was teaching how to synchronise heat cycles in sheep (it involves leaving a sponge soaked in hormones in the ewe's vagina, it's left in for 2 weeks, when it's taken out she comes into heat within 2 days, but I digress).

The comment I got when I explained this was 'how is a sheep supposed to piss for the 2 weeks the sponge is in?' A lot of lads believe (at that age anyway) that periods only last a few hours at most based on what they believe of how reproduction/urination work.
.

Problem here is the definition of the word "Vagina".
For a lot of boys this word describes the entirety of a lady's "front bottom" area ,not just one component of the reproductive system.
Or to put it another way.....Vagina=Vulva.....a term these lads probably never heard of.

Wibbs

sam34 wrote: »

when it comes to sex, contraception and possible conception, shouldn't responsible adults, both male and female, seek out this information for themselves, instead of passively waiting to be taught?

if you're mature enough to be having sex you should be mature enough to educate yourself about the potential consequences and how to lessen/prevent them.

Oh agreed 110% S, but sadly "responsible" and "adult" don't always go together and at a rate that can be scary. Very generally speaking I've found the ladies are a little more up to speed, then again they have more to lose by not knowing all things considered, plus women's reproductive systems are also much more likely to be seen by medical types. Men could go through their entire life and never have their wobbly bits examined. That said not knowing what a foreskin is etc isn't that rare.

I recall a thread on Boards ages ago in a forum I can't recall, where guys were talking about their penises and it was quite the eye opener as far as ignorance of the subject and the workings of same were concerned. Especially given how focused we are on ours at an early age and how external and visible they are. Knowledge of women's "bits" go below that for many.

It's not such a gender thing I reckon. Both men and women can be scarily ignorant of their own reproductive systems , never mind the "other sides".

Wibbs

THall04 wrote: »

Problem here is the definition of the word "Vagina".
For a lot of boys this word describes the entirety of a lady's "front bottom" area ,not just one component of the reproductive system.
Or to put it another way.....Vagina=Vulva.....a term these lads probably never heard of.

+1., Never mind labia majora/minora, clitoris and clitoral hood, mons pubis etc, Hell the slang words are more anatomically correct than "vagina" for the area.

Sarn

Speaking from my own experience, the reproductive systems weren't covered in school so I can understand how many people are relatively clueless. It doesn't take much to pick up the basics though.

With regard to the contraceptive pill, again I can understand how people would just pick up the fundamentals so as to ensure that it is used effectively. Beyond that I wouldn't expect the average person to know all of the details of another person's medication. Ultimately it is the person who takes the medicine that needs to ensure that it is taken correctly. If they are unsure then they should seek guidance from their pharmacist or doctor.

I would agree that everyone should have a certain level of basic (correct) information. Some people just have no interest until it's too late.

I find it amazing that antibiotics and illness as an issue with the contraceptive pill wouldn't be known to anyone who has ever had a TV. Then again I, a male, told a surprised and worried 21 year old girl about it which surprised and worried me.