"I wasn't prepared for a lifetime of fibroids – but I'm proud of my body now"

“When I got my period at the age of 9, I felt prepared. My mom had told me what to expect, so it didn’t come as a surprise the day I first noticed blood in my panties. However, I wasn’t prepared for a lifetime of fibroids — something I didn’t realize I had until the age of 18, when I received a diagnosis. This involved menstruating for months at a time, cramps so painful that I stayed at home from school in tears, and the fatigue of anemia (thanks to excessive blood clotting and blood loss).

Until I had that diagnosis and understood that it could be fixed (with the help of a perfect balance of hormones in the birth control pills that I began taking daily), I hated my vulva. I hated my vagina. I despised anything happening between my legs and inside of my uterus. I was embarrassed and ashamed by these “issues” that it seemed no one else had.

Knowing what the source was and actively implementing it changed my life and made me truly appreciate just how amazing my body is. I’m proud of my body now, especially my vulva, and wouldn’t change anything about it.”

— M, 26 years old, Canada (she/her pronouns)