Menstruation

Hey, there, Anon: glad we’ve continued being of help to you! Honestly, I don’t see any cause for concern here. Not only do I see no viable risks of pregnancy in this, just as you don’t, I also don’t see any reason to assume that you didn’t have a period this time around. My guess is you just have…

We get a lot of questions at Scarleteen from folks who are worried about periods that are MIA (missing in action, for us civilians). Sometimes there’s a pregnancy concern, and sometimes not; but even if you’re not sexually active, a missing period can be worrying.

After a few years of being the postergirl for alternative approaches to menstruation – writing articles, being interviewed, doing workshops, selling washable pads to women and getting involved in too many party conversations on the topic to possibly count – something is starting to give. The truth is, I’m starting to get a little bit tired of being nice. I’ve lost my patience with trying to pussyfoot around the issue until women are willing to talk about their own blood. And so, as a form of cleansing for me and education for you – should you choose to engage in it – I have penned the following set of arguments dispelling the myths about washable menstrual pads and your period. So there.

What’s the menstrual cycle? How does it all work? What are periods and options for managing them, and when’s it time to check in with a healthcare provider?