Why aren't there many men on this thread? Because I've learned [sometimes painfully] that men joining a discussion on almost any aspect of 'the female condition' tread into a minefield - we risk condemnation if we agree ["how do you know!"] or if we don't ["you don't even care!"]

A little story: until my mid-thirties I played Rugby [for USA readers that's a game like American Football without the 'cissy' armour] Injuries are very common, and I regularly dislocated my knee-cap. Notwithstanding the pain I would equally regularly take myself to the sidelines and manually push the kneecap back into place - an excruciatingly painful process. On one occasion a [rather attractive] young girl and her mother were at the side of the playing field whilst I was in the middle of this exercise. The girl was all sympathy and admiration for my fortitude, but mother was not. "Hmmph ... he'd never be able to stand the agony of having a baby - then he'd know what pain would be like!"

It didn't seem to occur to her that I hadn't chosen to be born without ovaries or uterus - so why blame me? Certainly I appreciate how painful the birth process looks, and I certainly did not envy my wife at the time[s] in any way. I'm also fully aware of the havoc caused by hormonal shifts, by the devastation of the menopause etc., etc. - I've been on the receiving end many a time. I admire without reservation the strength and resolve of women who have suffer such biological misfortunes ... and I'm duly thankful that I do not.

There is, however, a downside to my good luck.
[1] biologically, it takes me hours to recover before 'seconds' are on the menu.
[2] I can fake neither desire nor fulfillment - even for the nicest possible reasons!
[3] If I'm cranky / impatient / moody / unresponsive it's because I'm cranky / impatient / moody / unresponsive ... and I can't balame it on anything else!
[4] If I put on extra weight it's because I've eaten too much and exercised too little - whatever my age.
[5] I can't use hair colour to cover the grey without criticism ... indeed I can't use any kind of make-up to improve or cover up blemishes.

And just to complete the record, in the loving stakes I can still keep up my end of bargain - and I'm nearly 62.

And I still love women to bits!!