Reaching menarche—the medical term for the beginning of your menstrual cycle—is a big deal for every girl on this planet, but can be quite the scary time if you’re unprepared and caught off guard. It’s important that every girl gets all the information she needs to deal with her first period as soon as she is old enough to understand. After all, your period is the one constant you’ll have to live with until the arrival of menopause.
But, getting the correct information is just as important. With easy internet access, you might feel like going online and searching for answers yourself, but not every source is equally reliable. Getting incomplete or wrong information can have serious effects on your menstrual hygiene, which in turn can lead to sexual and reproductive health issues. Misinformation can also lead to stigma, low self-esteem, and a fear of engaging in normal activities when you are on your period. There are so many myths and regressive traditions around menstruation that it’s quite easy for you to fall into this trap, and remain stuck for life.