When I was growing up, menstruation felt like a drug transaction. I had to hide the fact that I was on my period. Even in the city, what I learned from family and relatives was unclear, and the myths and taboos made this normal cycle of the female body feel worse.

It turns out I am not the only one. Research shows many girls feel afraid and ashamed at their first period, often because of knowledge passed down from older generations and shaped by socio-cultural beliefs.

— Clarissa Ruth Natan