cw: period/menstruation, scat and urine talk but not very explicit.

AITA for saying periods are gross?

Let me preface this by saying that I am biologically a woman and do get periods. Ages don't really matter but everyone in the story is an adult.

Basically I was talking with another girl friend of mine and the topic of periods and public bathrooms came up where I said something like "Ugh, used pads are so gross, I wish women at my office would wrap theirs in toilet paper before throwing them out so I don't have to see them when I go to throw mine out too." Which to me felt completely normal? I always wrap my pad with a piece of tp so it doesn't accidentally unwrap and I don't see why others at my office don't do that, though it doesn't really bother me enough to confront them about it, it's just a small annoyance that I thought I could share with a friend.

But then my friend started arguing with me, saying I shouldn't be calling periods gross? and that apparently it's a misogynistic thing to do?? Which to me felt completely insane because like... periods ARE gross? Like it's literally bloody chunks exiting your body, idk how else you could describe it.

But she still tried to explain to me how it's not gross and is just a normal, natural biological process, and women shouldn't be shamed for it, but like... so is shitting and pissing? Shitting and pissing are both natural and biological and happen to EVERYONE but it's still gross non the less (unless you're into that I guess). And just to clarify: I wasn't trying to shame my coworkers for HAVING periods, just like I wouldn't try to shame them for taking a piss or a dump, that would be dumb. I was just specifically complaining about them not cleaning up after themselves properly, the same way I would complain if I they didn't flush or something.

Lastly when my friend realized I wasn't being convinced she just huffed and said "Fine, I hope you have a nice life being grossed out by your own body." which is like... ?????????? Why would I be grossed out by my own body? Like, human bodies do a lot of gross stuff but that doesn't mean I'm grossed out by MY body. I don't know if this is uncommon or not but I don't feel grossed out when looking at my own period blood, or shit or most other stuff that comes out of MY body, but I still do get grossed out when I see other's people's stuff, which is why I was complaining in the first place. But she just didn't respond after that and the conversation kinda moved on.

Idk, I feel like I'm either super mega dumb and just don't get why what I said was wrong or she's just plain incorrect but that's why I'm asking for a third opinion here.