Mike Pence, Donald Trump's reported running mate, has a period problem

Early reports suggest that Donald Trump has chosen Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate on the Republican ticket. He has been widely regarded as a safer choice than the more boisterous options of Newt Gingrich and Chris Christie.

But Pence’s career is not free of controversy, including on a particular issue that Trump likes to boast about: women’s health.

Earlier this year, Pence signed one of the most draconian anti-abortion bills in the country. Among other things, it would have forced women to carry fetuses with likely birth defects to term.

A federal judge ultimately blocked enforcement of the law. But it had already sparked intense backlash from women in Indiana, who began protesting by calling the governor’s office to tell Pence about the health challenges they face as women, everything from menstrual cramps to menopause. Women began organizing online under the hashtag #PeriodsForPence.

Organizers on Facebook pointed out that the law’s new “fetal cremation” provision was so broad that it might risk penalizing women for not “properly disposing” of their own periods.

Periods have already proved a risky topic for Trump, of course. He caused an uproar last year when he described a debate confrontation with Megyn Kelly of Fox News by saying she had had blood “coming out of her wherever.” An Oregon artist responded to those comments by painting a portrait of Donald Trump using only period blood. No word on whether a similar Pence portrait is currently in the works.