"Journey of firsts; Delving into the terrain of my menarche"
A young girl who just turned 11 had her very first period. It was another chilly winter day, one that was followed by days and days without the sight of the sun as is typical for the lowlands of Nepal. I vividly remember eating biscuits and tea for breakfast that day. As I was getting ready for school I was helped by my mother in braiding my hair. My bus to school was almost there, therefore it was time for me to leave my house.
It was then that my mother noticed something that would change the course of my week ahead. My mother caught sight of a reddish stain on the crotch area of my stark white stockings. There was a concerned look on my mother’s face. She then broke the news to me that I had had my first period. Perhaps it was because I didn’t know what a period was I remember not experiencing any kind of emotion. My mother then taught me what menstruation is, how to use a sanitary pad, how to dispose of it, and other details. I was only able to process the gravity of what was happening on the second day of my period.
Before the day of my first period, I knew scanty pieces of information here and there. I recall the conversations I had with my friends who were as unknown of what a period is as I was. One of my friends whose older sister had just started her period told me that the discharge of blood and other materials occurs from the umbilicus. The other friend told me it starts early among those with bad habits. I cannot fathom how these kinds of incorrect information got passed around and affected my classmates. My first encounter with credible information was the day I had my period from my mom. Imaginably, if I had been aware of the details of what a period is before I had it, I would have been more ready.
Today open conversations on menstruation are being initiated. Young women today don’t shy away from the conversations to navigate the natural process of menstruation. It overjoys me to witness efforts to empower young women to make their own decisions in all matters that regard their period.