The day I first had “the period talk” is still extremely vivid in my memory—mostly because it went horribly. I was around 10 years old and in Las Vegas for a family vacation. I was in the hotel room with my mom and was watching her clean out her purse. She dumped all of her things onto the hotel bed, and within the mix of lipsticks and dollar bills, two pads with light pink wrapping caught my attention. I had no clue what it was, and like any curious kid—I asked. When she explained it to me, I became embarrassed and honestly a bit grossed out. I didn’t like what I was hearing, so I quickly covered my ears and shouted at her to stop.
Because of my negative reaction, mom and I never really had a serious conversation about periods again during my preteen years. Unfortunately there were a lot of important things about periods that my mom and my school did not cover, so I had to figure it out myself.
Here are a few things that I wish my mom had told me.
1. Where My Vagina Is Located
I thought where you peed and your vagina was the same place—yes, it’s embarrassing to admit. Teachers did finally go over this in school, but it would’ve been nice to figure it out sooner.
2. What PMS Is
I didn’t quite understand PMS until I experienced it firsthand. I also didn’t realize how strong cramps could be. The first time I had cramps, I was sent home from school sick because I thought I had food poisoning or something crazy. Luckily, a few painkillers and a heating pad worked, and I felt better within an hour or two.
3. How Periods Don’t Hurt
Like any person, I associated blood with pain. When I heard blood would be involved, I assumed getting my period was going to be painful. Thankfully, I was wrong.
4. How to Use a Tampon
As a preteen, I only used pads because I did not know how to use a tampon. I hated wearing pads because I found them to be messy and uncomfortable, so I decided to make a switch. After reading the directions on the box and several attempts, I finally got the hang of using tampons. However, I wish it was something that my mom had gone over with me.
I’ve come to discover there are many girls in the same situation as I was. A few friends have told me they’ve never tried tampons because their family or school did not teach them. Hopefully the education system has changed since I was a preteen, because I think it’s best to present girls with all of the options and let them choose based on their preference.
Share in the comments below: What are some things that you wish someone told you about periods?
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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