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

Bizarre misconceptions from sheltered girl

[grrl-next-door.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if this is the kinda info you are looking for, but I enjoy telling people about my first period because I was a sheltered child with bizarre misconceptions.

I went to a private religious school where the sex ed was minimal. I remember it being mostly focused on pregnancy and prenatal development, and how to recognize and resist sexual abuse. There must have been some sort of mention of menstruation, but I obviously out or something.

A main misconception of mine is that I thought the period would be heavy (I pictured it like a running faucet!), and that the blood would be bright red (when seen on panties). However, my first few periods were VERY light, they didn't even go through my pants! And the blood on my underwear looked brown. When I first got this, I felt embarrassed. I had no idea it was my period, and my first thought was "I swear I wiped myself when I took a crap...." Then it continued for a couple days, and I was really wondering where it was from... like if I was having really messy farts or something. I had no clue, and I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. So then it went away.

I must also add a memory of seeing a teenage girl walking around naked in the changeroom of a recreation centre. I remember thinking "she looks older than me, she probably has her period". And I noticed she had a freckle/beauty mark on her vagina. Then I thought "ohhhhhhh, THAT's why they call it a period!!" (ie. "period" as in the dot at the end of the sentence). I thought that you'd get a freckle on your vagina (the "period") to "mark" that you have started your period.

So the next time my period came back, my mom came to my bedroom door and told me she did my laundry and noticed I had my period. I was totally confused and in denial, checked in my pants and told her "no I don't, I don't have the freckle". She's was pretty amused, needless to say.

Umm some other misconceptions I had were thinking I'd have a stinging pain (I didn't understand that blood was coming from a hole that was already there, I thought I'd get a "cut"). And I thought that the PMS symptoms would be totally horrible but I barely noticed anything the first year.

So bottom line... I think sex-ed is important, and preparing kids for the changes in their bodies. You need to tell them details and how they will feel.

~Stephanie, 20, Toronto ON