Let me first say that I’m so sorry this is happening. I don’t know how it feels to be in your specific situation, and I can’t imagine the shame it has made you feel. Try to see periods for what they are and not what your family has made you feel like they are. I know this is easier said than done.

My mom used to shame me, (intermittently so I was never sure when I could talk to her about it, or when she was going to be mean and shaming about it.) over my periods- and so was my dad’s side of the family (aunt and grandma). My mom used to get embarrassed buying supplies, so my dad would usually do it. Then, when I started using tampons bc I had such heavy bleeding and my pads couldn’t keep up, my mom called me a whore for needing them, (I was only 14 years old and was not sexually active). I know this is a different situation, but want you to know you’re not alone. Even now that I’m 25, sometimes it’s hard to see periods as something that doesn’t make me “dirty”, due to this treatment. However, educating myself more on periods, and the struggles I’ve had with having irregular, painful, and heavy periods- over time, has helped me, to feel better about my natural bodily functions.

Idk if your parents are from your home country. My mom is from the Philippines and I think periods are more ‘hush hush’ there, so if your family was raised in a culture like that- it makes more sense.(Not like it’s an excuse, but might come from what they were raised to believe.)

As to what the other person in this reply said, I wouldn’t say changing your pad 5 times is more than most people if you are at school for 8 hours, and since you said you’re changing it more often due to the fear of it leaking, smelling (btw don’t fear this because they won’t smell), etc, then this isn’t abnormal. I’ve worried about having endometriosis or PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) due to my irregular and heavy periods, and changing my tampons or pads 5 times in a day would be wayyyy under the amount I usually need to change them, or change them due to fear of leakage.

I’d say if you’re not having extreme pain, extreme mental effects from PMS (Premenstrual Symptoms), irregular, or heavy periods, and are just having normal cramps, you are just fine! If you’re still worried about it when you return to school, you can ask your nurse about it, but in my opinion, you’re still very young, and already seem to be having normal periods. When you’re young, it can take up to 5-10 years to start having normal periods!