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Comment by jbrooksuk | Hacker News Reader

Definitely need this in the UK. I can't understand why, but my partner HATES buying tampons in the supermarket, the amount of times I've had to pick them up on my way home is countless. It's a normal part of being a woman, there is no prejudice women.

Any women here who don't mind sharing why this is so embarrassing for the alike?

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Male here. Your partner just needs to grow up. I've been purchasing feminine hygiene products for my girlfriend-now-wife for the last 15 years and have been happy to help her, not embarrassed.

If this is a problem for him now, childbirth is really going to be an experience. =)

That being said, I would like to see the tampon/pad manufacturers try something that would help a lot of men out.

The tampons and pads themselves are very simple. But, like toothpastes, deodorants, or soaps, there are a TON of options that get piled on by marketers. Wings/No Wings, Light/Heavy/Overnight/OMG, scented/unscented, Thong, etc. I must spend 5-10 minutes just trying to make sure I have the right ones that she likes. Is "Heavy" the same as "Overnight"? What did she tell me again?

It would be great if even ONE company tried to classify their items with a simple code number. If wifey just said "Hey, pick me up a pack of C-2s", I'd be a customer of that brand for life.

True, but it's also a matter of habit. At some point, I knew my wife's preferred tampon "configuration" better than she did.

(Then we moved to a different country, everything changed, and now I have no idea)

I used to work as a pot-washer in the kitchen of a restaurant and therefore I was the person who used to go to the petrol station next door to buy things for the other staff (waiters/waitresses, chefs, etc) as they weren't able to get away for enough time.

It wasn't unusual for me (16 y/o at the time) to go in and buy:-

    cans of coke
    multiple packs of cigarettes (all different brands)
    tampons/sanitary pads
    condoms
    2 gallons of milk, and  5 or 6 loaves of bread (when the restuarant ran out)
    confectionary
    toothpaste
    etc

I got some very very odd looks from other customers but the petrol station staff soon got used to my bizarre purchases.

It certainly helped me get over any fear of buying these kinds of items.

Actually I think the parent poster is male- I certainly read it the same way you did at first!

Oh, on second read you're right. Sorry! =\

No worries buddy, I guess the "alike" messed up my sentence.

I find that self-checkouts are helpful for people who feel sheepish about buying certain products, or certain combinations of products. I bet there's a measurable uptick in sales of feminine hygiene products, condoms, constipation and diarrhea medicine, and other "embarrassing" products in stores that add self-checkouts.

I used to feel sheepish buying things for my girlfriend but I realized it's not bad for people to think you're a good partner. So instead of sullenly buying the hygiene products, I say go all out. Throw in some generic Midol and dark chocolate. No one will criticize you.

No, I am a male.

The following is a bit personal, but perhaps your wife has experienced something similar.

Personally -as a male- I always feel a bit embarrassed when buying toilet paper. I know it's just a normal body function, but I still don't like it. I think it has to something with my early youth.

When I was a child my parents had a hard time to learning me to become potty-trained. At some point my mother got sick of it and from what I remember she pushed my face into my own feces. From that moment on I was potty-trained.

I believe a side effect of this experience was that I'm annoyed by defecating myself and I also am really annoyed by for example people farting. It's probably 1 reason why I don't want to have kids (would hate the baby phase), though I would not mind adopting a kid that's potty-trained.

Perhaps your wife has had some traumatic experience related to her menstruation causing this annoyance.

I've bought tampons for my wife before. Apparently though they "..don't count as a proper present."

PS Yes I know this is not Reddit.

I'd imagine it's why some guys get embarrassed buying condoms, the "oh no! Everyone now knows I have bodily functions!".

That's never bothered me, I see it as a token of mature thinking, not ready for kids, taking precaution. Now I don't bother though since they're cheaper to purchase online direct from Durex etc.

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