Menstruation, Not A Right To Sex.

Going to my village and seeing almost all girls being mothers in their early teenage years is so sickening. I pity these girls who can't take care of themselves yet but already have babies to take care of. They are as young as thirteen to seventeen. Just like me, they experienced menstruation without even knowing what it is. It was during the summer holiday when I just finished primary school and was getting ready to go to secondary school. I just turned twelve. I complained of mild stomach ache which was not taken seriously by my aunt or uncle. Being the youngest, I was pampered and allowed to sleep during the day. I got up to realise the sheet was stained. I had heard about it in my last days in primary school but did not even understand what it was. I just knew I was now a big girl and could get pregnant. I was too shy to even tell my aunt. I had a senior cousin who was too hot tempered and so could not even bring myself to confide in her for fear of what she could do. So, I took it upon myself to handle my issue privately. I knew I was suppose to use pad but did not even know what pad looked like. I went into the toilet,wrapped up some toilet tissue and used it. When the toilet tissue was all used up, I resorted to using pieces of cloth, not caring where it came from. It lasted for three days. All these days, I separated myself from all normal activities. I could not eat properly, I stopped playing or even sitting with the rest of the family to watch television or discuss with others. In all these, no one noticed I was going through stress in handling the changes my body was experiencing. I developed itches in my vagina and went to a road side drug vendor and bought some medicin which he prescribed to me after I complained of the itches. I went to a boarding school and while there, I met some seniors who took out time to explain to me what menstruation was all about and helped me use the right sanitary pad when next I had my flow. Those big sisters explained to us that there was nothing shameful in menstruation or being a girl child. It really helped me a lot to love me as a girl and to encourage me to adapt to the changes I experienced without shame. There was this particular day that I soiled my dress in class and a classmate who was a boy walked up to me, told me my uniform was soiled and offered me his pullover to use and cover up before going to the dormitory. I felt abit embarrassed for being careless but I was not ashamed of being a girl child. Since I live in town and rarely go to the village, I was surprised with what I saw happening in the village when I went home. Many teenage girls were either pregnant or already having babies. Girls as young as thirteen. For most of them, their education came to a dead end. I discussed with some and tired finding out why they got pregnant at such tender ages. All had a similar problem. They did not know what menstruation was all about. Their mothers had never discussed it with them. So they listened to their peers and to men who misled them into believing that they were now matured women and sex was a vital ingredient in their lives. These men made them to believe they now had a right to have sex but abandoned them as soon as they got pregnant and are labelled bad children by the community. Sheepishly, they believed the lies and ended up being mothers while still being babies. Let us help our young girls in rural areas to stop believing the lies that have ruined so many girl children and jeopardize their futures and help them to understand that menstruation does not mean a right to sex.