I was in 5th standard when I got my first period. Yes, you read it right I was just 11 year old. I actually had no idea what was happening. The day I got my period Mom wasn’t home and I was watching TV (very normal). I then feel a little weird (not normal). So I go to use the washroom, and the next thing I see is that my pants are stained (unusual). So I change my pants (normal). I continue watching TV (normal). I feel weird again and this time it’s worse, as there is pain to it. ( So Not normal). I go back to the washroom, and this time the whole underwear was stained. I was petrified. Took me some time to gather my senses, and change into another pants (confused). The door bell rang in sometime and I knew it was mom. She came in and I rushed to hide my underwears thinking she might scold me seeing a mess the I made. But somehow she saw that and made me sit, calmed me down and told me about it. How blessed I was to have it.
But things were not same in school. At those times, I felt all grown up amongst my peers. And nobody actually discussed about it and I ended up feeling disgusted about myself, and having puberty earlier than my friends.
After some years, when all my friends also started menstruating I started to feel a little normal. But I could never understand the stigma and taboo about periods in our society.
The red spots on a girl’s cloth has been a matter of shame. Blood could be so painful, we girls, had no idea !!
Periods is something that defines a lady. A girl aged 10 years or a woman aged 45 years are all a part of this beautiful journey.
This cycle of a woman’s body should be embraced and not hidden. Bleeding every month is not a sin but a gift.
Talking openly about it is completely one’s own choice but in my view, this is not something to be ashamed of.