I had “the talk” (menstruation, not sex) at around age 9 or 10 when I noticed a box of pads in my mom’s room and asked about it. She had just had my baby sister, and I was like, “Why do you have things that go in your panties when the baby comes out your stomach??” I thought all kids were born by C-section, had not heard of vaginal deliveries! :eek: So we had this nerve-wracking talk that seemed to go on for ages, in which I was informed that I had three holes down there, which I hadn’t known before, either. Sheesh.
The aforesaid younger sister just started getting her periods, and THAT is weird. For some strange reason it freaks me out more than getting my own (which I waited for for several years before I got it at around 13), possibly because Mom and I have been the only “women” in the house for so long.
I did get my period before my best friend, seven months my junior, which I was terrifically proud about.
In Western Australia, we had the talk at school when I was about 11. My mum had told me about periods the previous year. So I wasn’t that much different in age to Vada.
When I was about 20, we went out with a group of friends the same age as us. One of the guys who has a younger sister didn’t know anything about menstruation. Nothing at all. We had to sit down and explain EVERYTHING to him that night.
He was also unaware that you could have sex in any way other than the missionary position. He really got an education that night!
[quote]
“Why do you have things that go in your panties when the baby comes out your stomach??” I thought all kids were born by C-section, had not heard of vaginal deliveries!{/quote]
Don’t feel too bad. My husband asked the more or less same thing when I did have a C-Section.
I don’t remember learning about sex or menstruation in school at all, except for Health class in ninth grade.
I got my first period in fifth grade (1982 or 1983).
I was at the mall with my mother, and felt sick. We went home, and I discovered Something Was Terribly Wrong. Now, I knew that women ‘got their period’ every month, and I knew blood was involved somehow, but no one had told me the specifics.
Not only that, but (TMI) the blood isn’t red when it first starts out, (at least mine isn’t) and I had no idea what was coming out of me. I didn’t say anything, and hoped it would go away. The next day, when the blood did start to come out red, I was sure I was dying and went crying to my mother.
She then calmed me down and explained it to me in detail.
If I ever have a daughter, I’m going to make sure she knows exactly what to expect.
I’m not sure when I found out exactly, I know I knew at 10 because I had a “scare”.
The actual event (ie, first one) happened when I was staying with my friends for a week. I just told my friend’s mum, and she told me I should ring my Mum and tell her. (I couldn’t really see why.) So I told her very matter-of-fact-ly.
I overheard her telling her friends later how mature I was about it. How embarrassing! I didn’t even discuss my periods, let alone Mum talking about it with her friends!
