Siobhan Austin
(They/ Them)

I always felt a bit different to other girls my age but chalked it up to me being a weirdo. Growing up, I had no idea non binary people or trans men even existed. It was only as I got older and started absorbing more queer media that I finally understood myself and had a name for my identity. Inclusive projects like the menstruation conversation are so important because representation really matters. It removes the stigma of being a person who menstruates who doesn't identify as a woman. It shows that we are not defined by our bodies.

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I always had painful periods, and started taking hormonal contraception in my teens to try to combat this. In my 20s though, I was still experiencing severe pain and frequent heavy bleeding. My left ovary develops a large cyst every time it ovulates, and sometimes these cysts twist, bleed, or rupture. Sometimes the pain is so severe I might throw up, or pass out. After years of investigations, scans gyno appointments and failed treatment, I'm finally on a waiting list to remove that ovary via keyhole surgery. Having these problems classed as "women's health issues" makes an already uncomfortable situation close to unbearable sometimes. These problems can trigger dysphoria, and using inclusive language goes a long way.