Let’s just start here: the education system did the absolute bare minimum when it came to your body and then acted like it did you a favor by not teaching u proper anatomy.
You were told just enough to avoid pregnancy and maybe panic about STIs, but nowhere near enough to actually understand what is happening inside your body every single day.
And that gap? That’s where confusion, shame, and fear find comfort and are able togrow.
Your Cycle Is a System: Not a Monthly Event
Your menstrual cycle is not just “you bleed for a few days and then move on.” It is a continuous hormonal cycle that impacts your brain, energy levels, mood, digestion, sleep, and even how social you feel.
Let’s actually break it down in a way that should have been explained years ago:
Follicular Phase (Post-period → Ovulation)
Estrogen starts rising. This is when:
- Your energy increases
- You may feel more focused and motivated
- Social interaction feels easier
This is your “get things done” era and no, that’s not random.
Ovulation (The Main Event)
This is when your ovary releases an egg. You are:
- Most fertile
- Often more confident
- Sometimes more physically sensitive
Your body is biologically primed for reproduction here, whether you want that or not.
Luteal Phase (Post-ovulation → Period)
Progesterone rises. This is where:
- PMS can show up
- Mood shifts happen
- You may feel more tired, irritable, or withdrawn
And instead of explaining this, society just said: “Wow, you’re emotional.”
No. Your hormones are shifting. There’s a difference.
Menstruation (Your Period)
Hormone levels drop, the uterine lining sheds, and your body resets.
You are not “weak” during this phase you are literally undergoing a biological process that affects your entire system.
Anatomy: The Basics That Somehow Weren’t Basic
The amount of people who were never clearly taught this is… concerning.
You have three separate openings:
- Urethra (for urine)
- Vagina (for intercourse, menstruation, childbirth)
- Anus (digestive system)
These are different systems, with different functions. And yet so many people grew up confused about their own anatomy because no one explained it plainly.
That confusion? It turns into embarrassment. And that embarrassment keeps people from asking questions.
Discharge Is Not “Gross” It’s natural Information
Discharge is one of the clearest indicators of what’s happening in your body.
- Clear and stretchy: Ovulation (fertile window)
- White/creamy: Normal hormonal state
- Yellow/green or strong odor: Potential infection definetely worth checking
This is not something to hide or feel ashamed of. It is literally your body communicating with you.
Imagine if we treated it like useful information instead of something to panic about.
Pain Is Not a Personality Trait
Some discomfort during periods is common.
But pain that:
- Stops you from going to school/work
- Makes you nauseous or faint
- Requires constant medication to function
That is not something you’re supposed to just “push through.”
Conditions like endometriosis and PCOS often go undiagnosed for years. Then, when trying to get a diagnosis, it takes years. because people are told their pain is normal.
It’s really not normal.
The Real Problem: Silence
When people don’t understand their bodies, they:
- Don’t know when something is wrong
- Feel ashamed of normal functions that occur regularly
- Are easier to misinform or dismiss
- Many people also settle for not knowing
And somehow we call that “education.”
Sources
- NIH – Menstrual Cycle Overview: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279054/
- Cleveland Clinic – Female Reproductive System: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9118-female-reproductive-system
- ACOG – Painful Periods: https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/dysmenorrhea-painful-periods
TalkHER.org 
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