Male caller claims women play the ‘girly card’ over period pain, gets completely shut down by female guest on LBC

LBC presenter Ian Collins had been discussing Bristol company introducing ‘period policy’ for female employees

'A Five per cent tax might seem low, but this is an issue of fairness, and not only for those menstruating in the UK'

When a male caller named Stephen phoned LBC to complain on live radio about women playing the “girly card” over their period pain, he probably didn’t expect to be shut down quite so quickly.

Presenter Ian Collins had been discussing the news that Bristol-based company Coexist had introduced a “period policy” for female staff in a bid to improve its working environment and productivity through flexibility.

“It’s a very convenient girly card, at times, where women can throw this into the mix,” Stephen told Mr Collins on LBC, adding: “The period pain and the ‘I’m having a difficult time at the moment,’ when we blokes have to win wars and live in trenches.”

He said that from his own experience, men have “no way of combatting this type of emotional stuff that comes from women,” and instead “simply get on with it”.

A female caller named Natasha in Wokingham called the show in anger at Stephen’s comments, and said: “Men have no idea what us girls go through.

“Having suffered from the minute I started my period at [the age of] 10 until I had a hysterectomy about five years ago, which was the best thing I ever did, some days you just cannot move, a) because of the pain and b) because of the flow is so heavy.” She added that her periods had been “agony” and caused her to take pain killers her "entire life" due to the pain.

Both callers continued to argue, with Stephen claiming Natasha’s experience sounded like a “serious medical condition.” She countered his assessment by stating her experience was a “fact” for many women, but also claimed that men over exaggerate their suffering when they sustain an injury or catch a cold.

Stephen’s argument against the introduction of a “period policy” for the workplace was cut short when he asked, “Where do we end up? When my testicles swell up?”

To which Natasha replied: “I think they might if a woman got hold of him.”