BY: RONITA
I was in class six when one of my friends got her first period at school. She was scared and confused, and honestly, so were we. Not knowing what to do, we approached one of our kind female seniors for help. She told us we could buy sanitary pads at the school store a place we usually went for stationery and sports items.
My friend and I rushed to the store. Inside, two lady teachers were managing the counter. I asked one of them for a sanitary pad. She pointed to a drawer and told me to take one from there. As I pulled out a packet, a boy from our class suddenly walked in to buy A4 paper.
I hadn’t noticed him at first, but the store ma’am did. She quickly told me to stop and not take anything out. I froze, confused, and stepped back. The boy bought his paper and left. The moment he was gone, the teacher scolded me.
She said I should be more “careful” when carrying a pad, especially around boys. She told me to always hide it so no male could see. I didn’t understand why, but her words stayed with me. That day, I walked back to my friend with the pad, feeling an unfamiliar sense of shame.
From then on, I developed misconceptions about menstruation. I started hiding pads in my bag, making sure no boy could see them. Even talking about periods around males made me anxious. Something natural had been turned into something secretive and embarrassing.
In seventh grade, I had my own first period. I was scared again, but thankfully, my family was supportive. When I finally told my mother about the school incident, she smiled gently and said, “That ma’am was wrong. There’s nothing to hide. Periods are normal. You can talk about them anywhere, even in front of men. You should never feel ashamed.”
Her words lifted a weight off my shoulders. I realized that the problem wasn’t menstruation—it was the stigma around it. Bleeding isn’t something to conceal; it’s something that makes women strong, resilient, and life-giving.
Today, I share this story because no girl should ever feel embarrassed about her body. Bleeding is not a curse—it’s a sign of strength and life. We can and should talk about it openly, without shame, without whispers, and without hiding a simple sanitary pad.