I Got My Period When I Was 9 And I Didn't Know What Was Happening

Do you still remember what it was like to get your period for the first time? 

Unlike all my other friends who started menstruating when they were around 11 to 14, I got my period pretty early—at the age of nine, to be exact. I was lucky enough to be at home with my family. My mom and my ate were just in the other room and when I broke the news, they literally said, "Dalaga ka na." To be completely honest, I didn't know what was *actually* happening at the time. Why is there blood coming out of my vagina? Is there something wrong with me? In fact, I even remember tearing up a little and saying, "I don't want it." (As if it's something you can get rid of, LOL!)

It took a while for me to ~process~ what was happening with my body, but eventually, I came to understand the fact that periods are totally normal. I found a sense of comfort when my mom and ate officially gave me a crash course on all things menstruation. Because TBH, growing up, no one really talked about periods that much in my elementary school. Sure, we had those science classes that taught us how the female reproductive system works, but nothing really covered the ~experiential~ aspect of it. Like how to deal with intense menstrual cramps or what to do 'pag natagusan ka. I just wish people were more open about it. 

Thankfully, Kotex is working on changing all that and more. They recently launched a social video called Unfiltered which aims to break the silence on menstruation, and inspire other girls to start talking about their periods. According to Aparna Gopalakrishnan Dubey, Regional Sector Leader of the APAC Feminine care at Kimberly-Clark, "Unfiltered was created to kick-start the conversation by sharing the questions that young girls have about periods, and we hope that this will inspire and encourage millions of other girls to also share their unfiltered questions and start having conversations about their periods with their best friends, their sisters, or anyone they feel comfortable with."

Watch Kotex's social video, Unfiltered, talk about breaking the silence on menstruation and fighting the period stigma below.

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Source: Cosmo PH