People shamed a woman for throwing away her pantyliner, and what now?

You would think that when women in America are fighting for reproductive rights and equal pay, the last thing we have to worry about is throwing sanitary napkins in the trash. But unfortunately, throwing your pantyliner in the trash is yet another area where women are being shamed. Add “used pads” to the list of things women can be shamed for, right under their bodies, breastfeeding, their sex lives…the list goes on.

A woman took to subreddit TwoXChromosomes to vent about a problem between her and her three roommates. She claimed that she threw out a used pad in the bathroom trashcan (you know, like a normal person), and her roommate complained to her mother who then told the landlady (?!).

“I rent a room and have shared living space with 3 other college kids. Apparently, one saw a used pantiliner (rolled up, of course) in the trash and complained to Mommy, and now my landlady is trying to tell me I’m disgusting,” wrote Reddit user Min_Farshaw. “Seriously? Would they prefer I put the in the kitchen trash? Stuff them under my mattress?
This is a normal fucking bodily process and I’m sick of getting shamed for it.”

The Reddit thread blew up with women sharing similar stories, and sadly they all have one thing in common — the period pad shame is being directed at them by other women.

Another woman wrote that she was expected to take used pads to the outside dumpster at work. Another person wrote how her mother-in-law would make her put used pads in a ziplock, and then inside a brown bag, and then in the kitchen trash. Another woman shared how her female friend suggested that she take her pad to a different trashcan because they were staying in a man’s house and he “doesn’t need to see it.”

There are currently 1461 comments on this thread. Let’s just make it super clear, it’s 100% normal to throw a used pad or pantyliner in the trash. If anyone is shaming you for it, that’s on them.