Periods From the Past
My aunt’s stigma story
Hey everyone! Today I will be interviewing my aunt, Kim Boothroyd, about her first period story and how periods were talked about when she was a teen.
Q: What was the general environment that surrounded periods when you got yours?
A: No one ever talked about it. Although, we had to go to girls-only classes in fifth grade to have the “period lecture.” A notice came home and all of the fifth grade girls and their mothers listened to a big talk about menstruation.
Q: What were you taught about menstruation in school?
A: They taught us about this contraption, a menstruation belt. They called pads “sanitary napkins.” This was before pads stuck to your underwear. Oh, it was awful. All the girls giggled while the school nurse was explaining it and the moms just sat there nodding their heads; they said nothing.
Q: Can you explain your first period story?
A: I started my period when I was fifteen. I got it right around my fifteenth birthday. I was one of the last of my friends to get my period. In hindsight I realize I was embarrassed that I was so late to get my period. The part of my period story that I regret is that I did not tell my mom when I got it. I hid it from her for three months until she found my blood-stained underwear hidden under my bed. Thinking about it now, I just didn’t want the beginning of my menstruation to be the headline in the local newspaper.
