Attention ladies and gentlemen, this is a public service announcement: just because a female is moody, does not mean she is PMS-ing.

Unfortunately, ladies have the disadvantage of being plagued with the stigma that when they are upset, it must be “that time of the month.” This assumption is not only incredibly rude, but it implies a few different things.

To begin, the assumption presumes that the only reason a woman is angry is because she happens to be menstruating. With everything that goes on in a typical female high-schoolers day, they have plenty of things to be upset about. They could have done poorly tests, cracked their phones, or are sleep deprived. There are endless reasons as to why a woman is in a particular mood other than the fact that she is on her period.

With this in mind, sometimes when the question is posed, 99% of the time the one who asked the question happens to be the problem. Often times, the problematic person is oblivious to their own actions, only intensifying a female’s anger.

Regardless, if a lady happens to be cranky because of her period, can you really blame her? Here is a refresher of the definition of a period according to the Woman’s Health website, “Menstruation is  a woman’s monthly bleeding. When you menstruate, your body sheds the lining of the uterus (womb.)” Along with bleeding, comes cramps, cravings, and irritability due to hormonal changes.

For a female, periods are a natural process that indicates the body is healthy, even if a little discomfort  can sometimes come with it. When someone asks if a woman is PMS-ing, it not only makes them look incredibly ignorant, but it belittles whatever problem she is emotional about.

Overall, it’s just wrong to ask. Rather than posing the question, figure out what is actually wrong. Females everywhere will greatly appreciate it.