Menstruation - common misconceptions

[lilliesnremains.livejournal.com]

Hey all, if this isn't allowed, go ahead and delete it, but I read the rules it it didn't say no, so here goes.

I'm taking a human sexuality class this semester in college, and while i was originally going to do my term paper and oral presentation on "Female sexual abuse and later sexual dysfunction" i have since changed my mind and decided to do "Menstruation-How society views coming of age".

Here's where you guys come in. I have a basic outline of thing I want to talk about in the oral presentation portion, one of which are common myths associated with getting your period, or images displayed by the media. I'm looking for stories of your first time, and how you felt. i'm also looking for how you felt the first time you used a menstrual cup for those of you who use them.
Also, any links you have floating around that you think would be helpful to either suggest to the class or for me to use information from for my presentation.

What i'm hoping is that not only will many people benefit here from this, but that i will be able to change some peoples' minds about it in my class (i'll be talking about things like menstrual cups, cloth pads, and having sex while a girl is menstruating).

(on a somewhat related note, how do you pronounced menstruation? 3 syllables or 2?)

Comments

[robynchick.livejournal.com]

I got mine a week after I turned 13 at a choir function: we got to take a school-day off and we went to the hospital to sing christmas carols to people in long-term care.

All of a sudden I started to feel crippling pain. I had to use the bathroom like nobodies' business and eventually I saw blood. I knew what was going on so I asked My choir teacher for a pad because I just started my period. She hugged me and 'welcomed me to womanhood'!

Well if that was womanhood: constant pain and diarrhea then I sure as hell wanted nothing to do with it. I stayed home the next day and curled up on a ball on the living room couch feeling like I was going to die. Fortunately, my mom had experienced those same symptoms as a child and helped me (when I finally told her) to manage the cramps with Ibuprofen. To this day it's the only thing that helps much. Even so, the first day or two can be really miserable.

Another interesting thing: at the age of 13 I was considered "too young" for tampons so I was stuck wearing the disposable diapers we call 'pads' which leaked and crinkled and made me sweat. Eventually I was allowed tampons (more like declared I was going to use them) and my step-mom gave me some of hers. That's what I used until college, when I discovered my Diva Cup! I love it, it isn't perfect, but it's really freeing to be able to go all day without even thinking about it, except to pop an occasional ibuprofen. I think every single woman should be offered one of those, and a full regimen of cloth pads as soon as she feels ready. I use my diva, and some cloth pads that I made now.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

Cloth pads. *giggles*

I've resorted to cloth diapers folded up (think the kind people tend to use as burp clothes, lol), and those work pretty well. :)