It was in my primary seven that I experienced my first period. As a 12-year-old girl, I had no idea about how to even put on a menstrual pad. At school, we were not given any education concerning menstruation and neither was I at home.
My best friend by then had experienced her period before me so it was from then that I had an idea about what to do but nevertheless it wasn’t enough knowledge. I had always heard from school about how all girls start their periods at a different age in life and I had always wondered when I would start mine.
I remember getting my period in the morning at home before going to school. I was afraid and I remember telling my mom, “There are red things on my panty”. My mom then taught me how to use a menstrual pad and educated me about everything I needed to know about menstruation.
She then went ahead and talked to my female class teacher that my period had started. I remember not being happy with her about this. I was thinking to myself, “How can she expose me like this to my teacher?” It is now that I realize she just wanted to make sure I’m comfortable at school considering the fact that it was a mixed school.
My first period experience was so simple. I had no cramps, no back pains or headache of any sort or mood changes. It was at a later point in my period journey that I started experiencing these and this is my first period experience.