This is what it would be like if men had periods

For women, getting their period can be a traumatic affair; forced to contend with cravings, cramps and sometimes even worse.

So what would it be like if men had them?

Feminist and political activist Gloria Steinem summed it up in her essay If Men Could Menstruate:

Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, worthy, masculine event:

Men would brag about how long and how much.

Young boys would talk about it as the envied beginning of manhood. Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners, and stag parties would mark the day.

Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free.

Statistical surveys would show that men did better in sports and won more Olympic medals during their periods.

In short, it'd be total anarchy.

Dr Jennifer Gunter, a physician and writer, tweeted about what it would be like if men had periods...

#IfMenhadPeriods was born...

There were illustrations…

Some were light-hearted…

Not everyone is happy about the hashtag though

Some critics have labelled it transphobic, saying it focuses only on cis-gender men - those who identify as men, and were born with male genitalia - and fails to include transgender men, who do in fact have periods.

But many have been using it to make points about gender inequality

More: Men are actually tracking their colleagues’ periods with an app

More: Apparently 'man periods' are a thing that 'one quarter' of British men claim to experience every month