Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

I was 11 when I got my first period. My initial response was jubilation – I felt like I’d been invited to a special club. I’m a woman now, I remember thinking as I eyed my refection in the bathroom mirror.

It was a Saturday morning, and that meant swimming lessons. My mum, who wanted to teach me that life doesn’t stop when you’ve got your period, encouraged me to try a tampon. She showed me the diagram on the instruction leaflet and hovered on the other side of the bathroom door while I tried to put it in. It was painful, uncomfortable and a bit of a shock.

Read more »