baby k, here to play x

The answer is: the uterus isn't what causes your period, it is effected by your period. What causes your period and what causes trans women's periods is the same thing: the endocrine system.

HRT changes the sex of your endocrine system. Feminizing HRT makes it a female endocrine system, giving us a 28-day hormone cycle just like cis women. At the end of that cycle, the hypothalamus floods the body with prostaglandins. Those are what cause all but one of the period symptoms, because they make muscles inflame and contract. They are what make the uterus shed its lining, they are what cause intestinal cramps, they are what cause body aches, they are what cause headaches and migraines. The only period symptom not causes by the release of prostaglandins throughout the body is depression, and that is caused by your endocrine system simply not processing as much estrogen and from simply feeling like shit.

So, the only symptoms trans women don't get every 28 days is menstrual cramps, because yes we do not menstruate since we don't have uteruses. But migraines, depression, body aches, intestinal cramps, and the infamous "period shits" don't exactly add up to us having any better of a time. Except we have to pretend that we're fine and nothing is different because no one believes that we get periods, not even cis women.

I love cheetahs !!!

I'm not even fully sure why? Definitely have had a particular interest and fondness for them since I was somewhere around 11yo! They're such sleek, pretty creatures. Love that they're "big cats" but not Pantherinae Big Cats, like tigers and lions and jaguars, they're still Felinae like domestic cats, so they're just A Big Cat.

It's cool that they can see for such long distances, and have those "teardrop" facial marking stripes to aid eith that and minimise glare! It's cool that they use their tail like a rudder when they run! It's cool that their bones are so light and fine, so they can be so nimble and quick! Love that females are generally solitary and more dominant, and when males group up - usually still only a few at a time - they're called a coalition.

(I can't fully remember this one accurately, but something about the positioning or slight movement of a female cheetahs uterus up under the base of the ribcage so they can be pregnant but still aerodynamic bc the bones limit the bulging out of the belly.)

I got to "meet" a hand-raised (solo baby in a litter so mum's milk dried up & abandoned the cub, and baby had to be taken in by keepers. Very normal, sustainae survival behaviour for the mother, though!!!) girl at a wildlife conservation park, her is in the same month as mine and her name also begins with K!

I know they're super fragile, I know that surviving two separate ice ages diminished numbers to the point of inbreeding, and with human forces also in play their population numbers and genetic diversity are stacked against them. They're so susceptible to so many diseases that other felines would barely notice having in their systems, and from what I've learned about captive breeding populations, renal issues are also a big problem and frequent cause of death.

But, God, they're so beautiful!! They just purr so softly! They make these gorgeous little chirping sounds! I love them, Your Honour!!