Welcome to Gaia! ::

hey there! I'm so sorry to hear you've got your period. IMO having it is just...the worst. :/ I don't know if it's something that would be available to you in any way due to safety, availability, money etc but not only are my periods extremely painful and make me sick in addition to causing me my most extreme bouts of dysphoria (often leading me to really...really wanting to die) I've finally been able to start taking birth control. I only have 3 periods a year now and I ended up coming out to my doctor who was thankfully really supportive.

Anyway--I think I understand where you're coming from with wanting to put up with the pain but I just want to say you don't need to put yourself through pain like that, especially if all it does is just make you feel worse. Are you against using a hot water bottle or a heating pad if your cramp symptoms get especially bad?

I see! And yeah...IUD's can be really weird to deal with from what I've heard, especially if it isn't what you want.
I've never been to a strictly gyno before either--my doctor just happens to also do that stuff. I actually ended outing myself out of nervousness because I had to go in for a pap smear and I was incredibly scared and not really excited about it!!!! And I'll be honest even though my doctor was /so/ wonderful, trying to have a pap was tbh (for me) traumatizing and I didn't even get through the entire thing without my doctor stopping and telling me if I'm okay with it and know like the cautions I don't ever have to take one since it was so awful and painful for me. I think it helped that I was able to discuss with her my gender and things I'd like to do in the future (i told her I eventually would like to possibly have a hysterectomy) because she told me if that's what I intend to do and as long as I'm okay with the risk and sign wavers for her sake (which is totally understandable) she'll continue to prescribe my pills without having pap smears.

UH Long story short: I'm unsure what to recommend because I know it can be scary to talk to a doctor and you never know how they'll react. I've been deprived birth control entirely from other doctors because I've refused to have pap smears, but my current doctor told me you never have to do anything you dont want to and if a doctor doesn't give you what you need try finding another one. Again it's...not always the best option or what's available but I suppose if going to a gyno or being in that sort of situation is also difficult for you, you might be able to find a doctor willing to help.
Sorry that's so long winded and sorta tmi ;;; i hope it helps ahah

I've heard of transmasculine folks (including non-binary ones) treating their periods like combat wounds, and going all Ranbo about it. patching it up with a pad like bandaging a bleeding bullet hole, for example. dealing with the pain and cramps like a soldier would tend to being shot or stabbed. I hear the symptoms are surprisingly similar to eachother.

if machismo ain't your thing, I hear certain kinds of birth control make periods less frequent. and there's always the menstrual cup to help you not have to pay as much attention to the bleeding at least.