My Journey to Feeling Comfortable with My Period

For many years, periods were something I didn’t talk much about. Not necessarily because I was ashamed, but because I grew up in a culture — like many others across Latin America — where menstruation wasn’t openly discussed. Most of what I learned at first came from personal experience, whispered conversations with friends, or the little information shared in school.

It wasn’t a difficult process, but it was definitely a slow one. Slow because I didn’t have the words or the resources to really understand what was happening in my body. Slow because I didn’t always know who to ask or how to ask. And slow because it felt like something we were supposed to keep “private,” in the most uncomfortable sense of the word.

Studying gender in university changed a lot for me. I started seeing my cycle not just as a biological fact, but as something emotional, even political. Talking about periods didn’t feel weird anymore — it felt necessary. That’s when I began having real conversations with my friends: asking them how they experienced their cycles, how they felt, what products they used. And what I discovered was beautiful: we all had something to say, and most of us had just been keeping it to ourselves.

Today, I feel much more connected to my cycle. I listen to my body. I respect my rhythms, my low-energy days, my emotional shifts. I’ve stopped trying to “perform” the same way every day of the month. And I’ve started sharing what I learn, because I believe that speaking openly about this makes all of us feel a little more free.

If you're somewhere along that journey too, I just want to say this: it's okay to take your time. Everyone moves at their own pace. And even starting the conversation — even in small ways — is already a powerful step.

With love,
-M 🩷🌙