When the first period presents itself it is normal to feel shy about sharing the news, but you should know that half of the population have or will experience the same thing and it is something that should be celebrated rather than feeling shame or embarrassment about. 

Here are 5 things everyone with a period should know. 

1. Which sanitary product to use?

During different stages of your life you will switch between using tampons, pads, cups and underwear and any other invention that comes up in the future. Which product you use is a personal choice and you should always do what feels best for you, and never feel pressured to use one particular option. You be fierce and do you! 

2. Period stains

You should know that it is a certainty that your period will stain clothing at some point in your life! Whether it is your first period or you have had it for twenty years... unexpected 'accidents' happen and although it's extremely inconvenient and often embarassing, it is not the end of the world.

Wash your garment in cold water as soon as you can and hopefully you can lift most of the stain. 

3. Swimming during your period

Great news! Long gone are the days of sitting on the sidelines when your friends or classmates are swimming in the pool or at the beach. You no loner need to miss out. 

You should be mindful which products will work best for you when swimming. Pads don’t work well in the water (and are also bulky and visible) and tampons can be tricky to insert with many teens avoiding tampon use until many years down the track.

Ms Fierce period swimwear will be your new best friend, as it is not only extremely stylish, it’s also discreet with an inbuilt feature containing 3 layers that will ensure you can wear it any day of the month without the need for any additional sanitary products. Each swimwear piece will absorb period blood preventing side, front and back leakage. Amazing right?!?

4. Are periods good for you?

Periods are a healthy part of a woman's reproductive system (cleaning out tissue from inside the uterus) and should be celebrated each month. Bleeding each month also gives you insight to your body and can alert you to anything that could be going wrong in the reproductive system. Being observant and noticing blood quantity, colour and texture is important so if and when that changes, you can go and speak with your GP to see what is going on. 

5. How many periods will I have in my life?

In total, the average woman spends approximately 10 years of her life on her period! Of course, everyone is different, and anything from cycle length to child-bearing, breastfeeding and culture can influence the number of periods a woman gets over her lifetime. However, one thing is certain — periods impact us all.