The anticipation of getting it for the first time. The confusion when it first arrives. The embarrassment of starting it when you're wearing your new white pants. The relief at its arrival when you feared you might be pregnant. The disappointment at its arrival when you hoped you might be pregnant. Perhaps the most universal of female experiences, menstruation is a fact of life for women of all cultures, ethnicities, and sexual orientations, yet surprisingly little writing has been published on the subject.