A Manual Menstruation Tracker
Tracking menstruation helps girls learn about their cycle, identify patterns and navigate their periods. However, grassroots organizations report that girls have difficulty tracking their periods due to:
a lack of internet access and/or smart mobile devices,
the high cost of mobile data, or
complicated tracking tools.
So, She’s the First developed a simple physical resource to help girls easily track their period and menstrual cycle. My Period Diary is a one-year manual period tracker that can be used when educating girls on menstrual health.
With this tool, girls can easily track their period for a year and learn to create their own calendars for the future.
Fill in the form below to download My Period Diary. Need more guidance for your mentorship session? We’ve got you covered: Menstruation and Menstrual Health: A Brief Guide for Mentors
Download My Period Diary
My Period Diary is available for free to community-based organizations and girls. Please fill in the form below, and the PDF document will be emailed to you.
If you’d like to talk about using this resource as part of a custom training at your organization, please email us!
¿Quieres acceder a esta herramienta pero tienes dificultades leyendo el formulario en inglés? Envíanos un correo a programs@shesthefirst.org
Downloading the diary for a learning session with girls in your mentorship program?
Did you know you can now join the Girls First Institute to obtain a girl-centered design certification for your organization? This is a skills-building, outcomes-improving professional development program for women who uplift girls in their communities, led by and for women from the Global South. Join now to start your pathway to certification and improve outcomes for girls in your community!
Menstruation and Menstrual Health: A Brief Guide for Mentors
In order to keep My Period Diary simple and easily printable, we have compiled additional information for girls about their cycles on this web page:
We recommend that girls receive information on the following topics to ensure they make the most of their calendars:
Adolescence and puberty
Male and female reproductive systems
Menstruation
The menstrual cycle
How to track your period
Different menstrual products and how to use them
Menstrual Health Management
Menstrual Cycle
On average, most women have a menstrual cycle of 28 days. However, it is perfectly normal to have a cycle of from 21 to 35 days or even more. Menstrual flow for most women ranges from between 2 - 7 days.
It is, however, common for a teenage girl to have irregular periods for a few years after she starts her period. But as she grows older, she will begin to find patterns in her cycle. Meanwhile, girls can use the signs and symptoms they experience to tell when they are about to have their periods.
Premenstrual Syndrome
Premenstrual syndrome refers to the changes in mood, behavior, emotions, and physical health that may occur between ovulation and the start of menstruation. Different girls experience their periods differently. Some of the common signs and symptoms a girl may experience include headaches, acne, fatigue, abdominal pain, soreness of breasts, bloating/ weight gain, back pain, mood swings, irritability, anger, anxiety, exhaustion, and sadness among others.
Menstrual Products
Girls and women have different products that they can use to manage their menstruation. The product used depends on preference and what is available.
Some of these products include:
Disposable sanitary pads- These single-use pads stick to underpants and absorb menstrual fluid. How long a pad is worn depends on the intensity of an individual’s flow although 8 hours is the standard maximum.
Reusable sanitary pads- These cloth pads can be washed and re-worn after use for up to 1 or 2 years. It is important to clean these cloth pads with clean water and soap and to dry them in direct sunlight.
Menstrual cups- This is a small cup that is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual fluid. They can be worn for up to 12 hours after which it needs to be washed, with soap and clean water, and re-inserted.
Tampons- These are single-use products inserted into the vagina to absorb the menstrual fluid. They can be worn for up to 4 hours and must be disposed of after use.
Home-made pads- These could be made from a piece of cloth. They need to be cleaned with clean water and soap and dried in sunlight
Period Pain / Cramps
Period pain refers to the throbbing or cramping pain in the lower abdomen experienced just before or during menstruation. Menstrual pain is a common symptom experienced by girls and women during menstruation. Although in some cases, menstrual pain could be an indication of a medical condition that needs medical attention.
Here are a few ways girls and women can alleviate period pain:
Placing a hot towel, cloth, or water bottle on the area in pain, such as the abdomen or back.
Drinking lots of water and eating a balanced diet throughout the month.
Exercising regularly by playing sports or engaging in physical activity helps make period pain less severe.
Taking a rest.
Taking a mild painkiller.
Period Stigma
Period stigma refers to discrimination faced by women and girls for misinformation about periods; from classmates making fun of girls about their periods to coworkers assuming that menstruating individuals don’t perform as well at work. Period stigma has several effects on girls. These include:
Less concentration and fear of participating in school activities.
Many girls avoid going to school when on their period to avoid being made fun of by their classmates.
Stress and discomfort due to the fear of body odor and leakage.
Exclusion from sports because of cultural restrictions and myths around periods.
Some of the period myths that have been misleading society and girls include the following:
Menstrual blood is unclean and dirty.
Girls shouldn’t eat meat, beans, or sugar on their period lest they’ll have a heavier flow.
The start of menstruation is an indication that a girl is ready to marry.
The truth is, everything a girl can do without her period, she can do on her period!
Nutrition
As a result of the additional loss of iron in girls and women during menstruation, they need to consume iron-rich foods. These include whole grain cereals, leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and broccoli as well as proteins and dry fruits. Maintaining a healthy diet is essential for girls and women to ensure that their bodies are constantly nourished. It is also important to drink lots of water throughout the month and during menstruation.
Health & Hygiene
It is normal to have vaginal discharge, normally a clear/ white fluid with little to no smell. This is how the vagina cleans itself. As the vagina is a self-cleaning organ, it is important to wash the outside with clean water and a towel. It is advisable to avoid using strong perfumes or scented products to clean the vagina as this could cause infections, and irritations and kill the good bacteria in the vagina.
Maintaining good hygiene practices helps lower the chances of getting infections and eliminates odor. Some of these practices include:
Cleaning the outside of the vagina with clean water and mild soap and dry with a towel after cleaning.
Bathing every day.
Regularly changing pads/ preferred menstrual products. (approximately between 4-6 hours depending on one’s flow)
Wearing clean and dry underpants and clothes (preferably cotton).
Wiping from front to back after using the bathroom.
Washing hands after using the bathroom or changing a pad.
Maintaining good nutritional habits throughout the month.
It is important to note that getting a vaginal infection is common and every girl may get one at least once in her life. These infections may be caused by diet, hormones, medication, and/or hygiene. Common signs of vaginal infections include itchiness or soreness in or around the vagina, pain when passing urine (pee), and/or an unusual discharge from the vagina, which can be thick and white like cottage cheese, or thinner, white/grey, green or yellow and fishy-smelling. It is important to contact a health practitioner in case of any of these symptoms.
When to see a doctor
Girls may start menstruating as early as 8 years and as late as 17 years. If a girl is older than 19 and still hasn’t started her period, it is important that she visits a doctor for more information.
When the vaginal discharge is thick/ lumpy, has a strong smell and there is a change in color (to yellow or green)
When there is vaginal itching, redness, or bleeding aside from the normal period blood.
If period pain persists and is intense so much that it affects your daily activities.
The Period Diary tool and this information guide were developed in collaboration with She's the First's Girls Advisory Council, who identified some of the most frequently asked questions about periods among girls. It is a brief guide for mentors to use when teaching girls in their programs about menstruation and menstrual hygiene. While this is not a comprehensive guide, we hope it will help mentors address important issues raised by girls and create safe spaces for girls to ask questions, learn about menstruation, and be empowered to care for their bodies.