Her Health Matters

Puberty is the time when your body slowly changes from a child's body into an adult's body. For girls it usually starts somewhere between the ages of 8 and 13. Some girls start earlier and some start later. Everyone's timing is different, and that is normal.

What is a period?

About once a month, the lining of your uterus (womb — where a baby can grow) gets thicker. This gets it ready in case of a pregnancy. When there is no pregnancy, the lining is not needed. It comes away and leaves your body, with some blood, through your vagina (the passage from your uterus to the outside of your body). This is your period. It is a healthy sign that your body is growing up.

Keep track of your period

Mark the first day of each period on a calendar, in a notebook or in a period-tracking app. After a few months you will start to see your pattern, so you can have a pad ready in your bag. Your notes also help if you ever need to talk to a health worker.

PMS: feeling different before your period

Some girls notice changes in the days before their period. This is called PMS (premenstrual syndrome). You might feel moody, tired or tearful, have sore breasts, feel bloated (a swollen tummy) or get pimples. PMS usually gets better once your period starts. Exercise, enough sleep and healthy food can help.

There is no single right product. Most girls use disposable pads or cloth pads, and that is completely fine. Choose what is safe, comfortable and affordable for you and your family.

Washing every day helps you feel fresh and confident. A bath, a shower or a bucket wash all work. If water is limited, a basin of clean water, soap and a clean cloth works well. Wash more often during your period.

Caring for your private parts

Your vulva (the outside part of your genitals) is different from your vagina (the passage inside your body). Here is the good news: your vagina cleans itself. It makes a fluid called discharge that keeps it healthy. You only need to wash the outside.

Discharge: what is normal?

Normal discharge is clear or white. It can be thin and slippery or a bit thick and sticky, and it does not smell strong. The amount changes during the month.

Many girls get cramps (pain or aching in the lower tummy or back) during their period. Mild cramps are normal. These things can help:

Eat well and sleep well

Your body loses some iron when you bleed. Eat iron-rich foods such as beans, dark green leafy vegetables (like ugu or spinach), eggs, fish and meat. Fruit such as oranges helps your body take in iron from plants. Low iron can cause anaemia, which is common in girls. A health worker can check your blood and tell you if you need iron tablets — don't take them without advice. Drink water and try to get a good night's sleep.

Carry on with your life

You decide who can touch you and how. Giving permission is called consent. You always have the right to say no — to anyone, even an adult. Saying no is not rude.

An adult or much older person must never touch your private parts, ask you to touch theirs or ask you for sexual photos, even if you say yes. That is abuse. A doctor or nurse may need to check your body. They should explain why, ask your permission first, and let a trusted adult or a female health worker stay with you if you want.

Warning signs

Sometimes an older person builds a special friendship with a young person so they can harm them later. This is called grooming. It is often someone the young person knows — a relative, neighbour, family friend, teacher or someone online. Keeping you safe is the adult's job, not yours. If someone does any of these things, tell a trusted adult. You have done nothing wrong.

Staying safe online

This topic gives you the facts, so you can make safe, healthy choices now and later in life. Your family and your faith may guide you too, and it is good to talk with them.

How pregnancy happens

A pregnancy can start when a man and a woman have sex and a sperm (a tiny cell from a man's body) joins with an egg (a tiny cell from a woman's body). Once your periods have started — and even just before your very first period — your body can become pregnant.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

The HPV vaccine

HPV is a very common virus that can cause cervical cancer (cancer at the bottom of the uterus) later in life. The HPV vaccine protects against the types that cause most cervical cancers. It is safe, and it does not affect your ability to have children. In Nigeria it is free for girls aged 9 at government health centres, and some schools hold vaccination days. If you are 10 to 14 and missed it, ask at your nearest primary health centre whether you can still get it free. For most girls one dose is enough, but girls living with HIV need at least 2 doses, and 3 if possible — a health worker will tell you. Ask your parent or guardian or a health worker how you can get it.

Why early pregnancy is risky

A teenage girl's body is still growing. Pregnancy at a young age carries more health risks for the mother and the baby, and it can interrupt her schooling. If you are pregnant or already have a baby, you still deserve respect, good care and the chance to keep learning. See a health worker early, and talk to a trusted adult about staying in school.

You may have heard some of these from friends, family or online. Here is what is really true.

• Myth

  Periods are dirty or something to be ashamed of.

  Fact

  Periods are a normal, healthy part of growing up, and period blood is not dirty or harmful. Some faiths have their own practices during a period — those are about faith, not about hygiene or health. Whatever your faith, you can wash, go to school and play sport as usual.

• Myth

  Using a tampon or a menstrual cup takes away your virginity.

  Fact

  Using a tampon or cup does not change whether you are a virgin. Girls of any age can use them once their periods have started.

• Myth

  You can't get pregnant the first time you have sex, during your period, or if the boy pulls out before he finishes.

  Fact

  You can. Pregnancy can happen any time you have sex without protection — even the first time and even during your period. Fluid that comes out before he finishes can contain sperm. Washing, or drinking things like salt water or a fizzy drink, does not stop a pregnancy. If you are worried, talk to a health worker as soon as you can.

• Myth

  A girl who has started her period is ready for marriage or sex.

  Fact

  Starting your period means your body has started growing up, not that it has finished. Your body and mind are still growing, and pregnancy at a young age carries extra health risks.