My mom did not teach me about my period.
I know that it occurs more often now and is not something new, but to a 12-year-old girl whose entire life drama consisted of what she read in books such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, my life completely changed.
How was I supposed to navigate knowing my body did something new and brought along other changes? How was I supposed to enjoy this entrance into womanhood when I was still a girl?
Being Mexican-American, I did not realize how my life and education would completely change to accommodate the change in the functioning of my anatomy as a woman.
I am not the only one who was ignorant of my health. According to a study done in 2012 with a survey sample of 405 teenage girls between the ages of 12-15, only 39% felt prepared to start menstruating (Marván M). Along with that, I was always told that I was not to tell anyone when it occurred like it was a big secret. In the same study, adolescents scored the highest on negative feelings and secrecy rather than on positive feelings when it came to measuring their menstrual attitudes (Marván M). Sadly, I also developed such feelings and still continue to maintain some of those negative feelings into adulthood.
In a study about beliefs and attitudes towards menstruation among young and middle-aged Mexicans, middle-aged people viewed menstruation as requiring more secrecy than adolescents (Marván M.). Parents fall within that demographic and teach future generations that menstruation is something that should be hidden. This results in college-aged students like me who can feel frustrated with the system when women want to learn about puberty, sex, STD testing, and overall reproductive health. The topic has become controversial because information feels hidden from those who need it most.
Even though there are topics that are less talked about, like sex ed and STI/STD testing, this stems from the lack of forming a foundation when it comes to women’s health. Talking about periods introduces the idea of the female body going through changes. It might be scary, confusing, and sometimes frustrating. What is important is acknowledging the feelings that might follow, learning about women’s health, choosing to accept them, and choosing to learn anyway.
Being a Mexican-American woman, I still feel confused and scared by the information I do and don’t know. Many women in the Mexican culture are the product of the descendants of old beliefs and traditions when it comes to talking about women and their health. Some of the new generations have chosen to fight against the social norm, and others have chosen to go along with it. I hope that in the future, there will be one less confused girl who is left in the dark about their health education.
Works Cited
Marván, M L, and M Molina-Abolnik. “Mexican adolescents' experience of menarche and attitudes toward menstruation: role of communication between mothers and daughters.” Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology vol. 25,6 (2012): 358-63. doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2012.05.003
Marván, M.L., Cortés-Iniestra, S. & González, R. Beliefs About and Attitudes Toward Menstruation Among Young and Middle-Aged Mexicans. Sex Roles 53, 273–279 (2005). https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/10.1007/s11199-005-5685-3