Thank you for reaching out about this, as it’s an important change that all young females have to grapple with around our age.
It can be really frustrating and embarrassing when your peers are experiencing this change earlier than you are. Even though we know when we get our periods is not in our direct control, we still don’t feel like we fit in when other girls are on their periods earlier than us. It’s really stressful and demoralizing when we feel like we need to hide the truth and keep secrets from other girls in fear of not belonging. I don’t blame you for feeling the need to lie about it to your friends. After all, we want to feel accepted by our friends.
The nature of our bodies and growth comes with a lot of variances, as we are all unique individuals – and that’s okay!
Due to many factors in our bodies and aspects of our environment that we can’t be aware of let alone control, having a period can occur at different points in our lives. That means that although there will be girls that start having their periods much earlier than others, it’s totally normal if you get your period a bit later. There’s nothing wrong with you for having them later, nor is it something you can blame yourself or anyone for. As well, it’s normal to have these thoughts and emotions about your periods.
So what should you do if you have your periods later? Well, for starters, I have to admit that I know very little about your life, so I’m not in any position to advise you on exactly what to do. While I’m happy to give suggestions, the decision is ultimately yours on what course of action you feel is best for you to take. After all, you know your situation best.
With all this being said, I’d guess that it doesn’t feel right to lie about having your periods. You may need to reflect on this a bit. Ask yourself, why do you feel the need to lie? What is keeping you from being confident and comfortable in your body? You’re experiencing really difficult and personal struggles right now, so don’t feel that you have to go through this without help or support.
It can be helpful to speak to people you know and trust about this so that they can give you more specific tips and support at a time like this. Are your parents or family doctor people you feel comfortable and safe talking to? Are there any females in your life that you trust enough to talk about this? If you’d like to speak to people trained to speak to you about these exact experiences, another possible option can be speaking to the Centre for Sexuality at 403-283-5580 (Ext. 0), as they are more qualified to provide you possible resources and give you more specific tips on how to manage the thoughts you’ve been having.
Overall, it’s tricky to figure out what’s best to do. Being comfortable with yourself requires a lot of time, reflection, coping, discussion, and perseverance.
You’re taking the right first steps by asking questions and getting outside perspectives. I hope this discussion helped. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to speak to us directly by phone or text. Thank you, again, for reaching out to us! 🙂
ConnecTeen
