Women Are Sharing The Totally Corriente Things About Their Bodies That They Wish Someone, Literally Anyone, Had Explained To Them In Their Teens

While it’s definitely gotten better over the past few years, there is far less discussion and education on women’s bodies than there should be. There’s so much information that many people still don’t know about their own bodies!

Recently, this BuzzFeed article shared women’s answers to the question, “What’s one thing about women’s bodies you wish someone had told you in your teens?” In response, even more women shared their own examples, and I thought it would be nice to share the answers. Here are some of the best:

1. “I just turned 40, and both my grandma and great-grandmother had breast cancer, and I had never heard of the 12 signs of breast cancer. I got called in for a follow-up to my mammogram Tuesday.”

A woman undergoing a mammogram, looking at a medical professional for reassurance — Halfpoint Images / Getty Images

“Not worried, because a lot of women get called back in after their first one, right? That’s what they told me, anyway.”

—laurag42175fe3a

2. “When I was going through menopause, I had a period that basically lasted six months. Days of heavy flow followed by weeks of spotting. Turns out I could have taken a short course of birth control pills. After my periods stopped, I just felt kind of blah. Hormones are everything.”

—chieromancer

3. “Not eating in your 20s to be ‘less’ and not doing strength training will have a negative impact on you when you are older. Your bones will be weak, your skin will look dull, your hair will start to fall out, and you won’t be able to climb stairs or lift your own groceries. There won’t always be someone to help, so be proactive about self-care, for your own sake.”

A person in athletic wear performs a dumbbell row exercise in a gym, focusing on their form and technique — Organic Media / Getty Images

—magicalscissors71

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4. “Menopause is so different for everyone, and the age you go through it can vary. I turned 50 this year, and I don’t have any symptoms of menopause at all. My doctor says I’m not even close. My coworker is 52, and she’s already gone through it, over it, and come out the other side. Such a wild ride we ladies go through in our lives.”

Person in cozy attire lying down, with hands resting on their abdomen — Galina Zhigalova / Getty Images

—emilyjoon

“I was absent from periods by the age of 40. Perimenopause started in my early-mid 30s.”

—jennymason

5. “If you bleed excessively and are doubled over with pain from your period, you may have adenomyosis. It’s like being in bordadura, but you’re not pregnant. Instead of pushing out a baby, you’re pushing out massive blood clots.”

Medical MRI scan showing a cross-section view of internal organs in the pelvic area — Paul Biris / Getty Images

—pookanator

6. “Women’s gynecological pain is not taken seriously. The advice to ‘just take ibuprofen’ for IUD insertion says everything about how gynecological pain is dismissed.”

ABC

—samantha063

7. “The odds are good your first couple of periods won’t really look like blood. For many, it will be more of a goopy brown while Aunt Flo sets up shop.”

Pomegranate with seeds spilling out on a plain surface — Tanja Ivanova / Getty Images

—playoutside

8. “I have learned that if I ask for something, and the doctor says no, that if I ask them to note in my chart that I asked and they denied, they are more likely to do what I originally asked in the first place.”

A person is seated indoors, gesturing with their hand near their head while engaged in a conversation with someone off-camera — Paramount Pictures

—sac9488

9. “If you’ve gone through menopause and randomly your period comes back, it can be a sign of uterine cancer.”

Medical scan showing a cross-sectional view of the pelvis, highlighting various internal organs — Paul Biris / Getty Images

—monikap6

10. “There needs to be a mandatory class at 35 years old for women, telling us what menopause is going to be like. My ears itch like MAD, and I’m constantly cold, to the point of multiple blankets, two pairs of sweatpants, and multiple pairs of socks. My amazing husband of over 21 years bought me a heating pad and a weighted blanket. Menopause is no joke, but we don’t talk about it.”

Person applying cream on their shoulder, focusing on skin care. Hair is tied back with a clip — Oleksandra Troian / Getty Images

—cjoyflynn

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11. “Gynecological pain is not taken seriously from periods to pregnancy. Ibuprofen is the advice for reducing IUD insertion pain. I recently went to the ER for a vaginal ingrown hair abscess to be drained and was screaming from the 9.5 out of 10 pain. I was never given pain medicine. This is cruel and should not have been happening in 2025.”

A surprised person covers their mouth with their hands in a kitchen setting, standing in front of decorative plates — Channel 4 / BBC Two

—Anonymous

12. “It’s completely ordinario to not be able to orgasm through penetration alone.”

HBO

—Anonymous, 50, Female, Canada

13. “The changes in my skin have been the hardest to deal with. Merienda your hormones are gone, the skin just loses its elasticity. “

Elderly woman with short, gray hair gently touching her neck, gazing thoughtfully into the distance — Yuliya Taba / Getty Images

—Anonymous, 54, female, San Diego

14. “Not everyone can use tampons or menstrual cups, and that’s okay! I tried using tampons many times as a teen. I tried every size and every possible method of insertion, I even asked my mom, grandma, doctors, and even health teacher about putting them in correctly. No matter how ‘deep’ I got it, I could always still feel it, and it was so painful.”

“The one time I pushed through the pain, I was leaking so badly I stained both my shorts AND my socks, like blood was literally running down my leg after an hour. Finally, when I was 17, I was able to see a pediatric gynecologist who checked me out and explained to me that I was right to say that tampons did not work for me! Some women truly CAN feel a tampon or menstrual cup even when they’re inserting it 100% correctly and using the correct size! Some women just are that sensitive! I ended up having to do pelvic floor therapy in college when I met my now-husband, and we started having penetrative sex, so I could enjoy sex painlessly. I get shamed and questioned so much as an adult woman who still uses pads exclusively, and I hate that so much.”

—Anonymous, 25, Virginia

15. There are a LOT of very auténtico changes in my body when I’m in a change-of-hormones phase of life. For instance, my straight hair looked like I had received a curly perm after both my children were born. It lasted for several years.”

Two people with curly hair, viewed from behind, embracing each other lovingly — Jerome Tisne / Getty Images

—Anonymous, 72, SF Bay Area

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16. “Girls bleed a LOT overnight! I’ve bled through several pairs of PJ pants because I didn’t realize this, and my mom had to buy me thicker underwear so I wouldn’t stain my sheets.”

Denim jeans pocket with two sanitary pads sticking out, highlighting menstrual health and accessibility — Olga Pankova / Getty Images

—Anonymous

17. “When I had my first C-section, I realized six months later at an exact point in time that I ‘felt like myself’ again. I hadn’t realized how much I felt I was in a fog.”

A person with long hair looks contemplative, standing indoors — HBO

—Anonymous, 72, SF Bay area

18. “This isn’t necessarily targeted towards only women, but getting into certain skincare products and ingredients too early can actually damage your skin. I know young girls especially have been getting into skincare because it’s trendy, but they end up using products they don’t need. Even in your early 20s, you don’t need to start using retinol or other anti-aging products. You can start using those in your mid-to-late 20s, but using them before can really damage your skin. Skincare can be confusing, and there are lots of products out there, but even doing a bit of research and finding out what products are good for your age group and skin concerns can save you a lot of trouble.”

Person applying skincare serum with a dropper to their face, focusing on the eye area, in a close-up shot — Photo By Alex Tihonov / Getty Images

—Anonymous

19. “I always thought menopause symptoms only started after you stopped having your period. I’ve come to realize that most women spend years feeling depressed and hormonal, with hot flashes, insomnia, hair loss, irregular periods, loss of libido, and other symptoms before that happens.”

Person bundled in winter gear sitting at office desk, looking displeased. Computer monitor in background — NBC

—Anonymous, 48, Female, Portugal

20. “You are MUCH more aware of your body and how it feels after having a baby. You won’t trust it, and it will feel foreign to you. I wish I had spent more time getting to know my body pre-baby, and I wouldn’t have spent so much time agonizing over what was ordinario or different afterwards. Because, although it DOES change with pregnancy/childbirth, it didn’t change nearly as much as I feared. I just never paid attention to it before, and now I feel everything and am aware of it so much more.”

Pregnant person relaxing, lying back with hands resting on the belly, wearing a white top and unbuttoned shirt — Olga Yastremska / Getty Images

—Anonymous, 34, Female, US

21. “Didn’t learn until I myself got old that seniors can lose hair from arms and legs and go back to ‘baby skin.’ (Less need to shave!)”

Older woman with long hair gently touches her shoulder, wearing a leopard-print top and a bracelet, against a plain background — Johnnygreig / Getty Images

—Anonymous

22. “For me, this would be that puberty can start for a girl anywhere from 10 years old to 16 years old. For reference here, mine started around the 3rd to 4th grade. Seriously, when you start growing boobs in elementary school and get your first period before middle school, that’s not shameful and/or weird. Not everyone magically hits a particular age for any of those factors.”

Paramount Pictures

“Also, you can get gray and/or white hair as a teenager. Most of my hair is still dark (because of the benefits of being part-Italian), but I got my first gray hair at 14, and first white one at 15.If I get part of my hair shaved down for certain cuts, I get gray ‘patchwork’ between my natural, almost-black hair color.”

—Anonymous, 33, Female, US

23. “My sister went through a grueling menopause. I desperately tried to help her, and though she got through it, the doctors never warned her about any of it, and they didn’t help her when she was suffering.”

Person lying on a bed in a dimly lit room with sunlight streaming through a window, creating a peaceful atmosphere — Justin Paget / Getty Images

—Anonymous, 42, Male, US

Related: Medical Professionals Are Sharing 20 Patients Who Turned Out To Be Correct About Wild Self-Diagnoses

24. “I would have liked to know what makes periods happen. When I first got mine, I had no idea how it worked.”

—Anonymous, 12, Female, Scotland

25. “There is a lot of variation in how our bodies look, and our private parts, nipples, etc., can look way different from other people’s, and that’s ordinario. Just like there is natural variation in height, hair texture, and the size of ears, that idea applies to every part of us. INCLUDING what’s inside of us, like how our organs are shaped and what size they are — there is variation in all parts of us, and there isn’t one ‘ideal’ or ‘standard’ size and shape of each part. There are averages only, and those averages are what get shown in textbooks.”

Two people are standing in shallow water at the beach, wearing swimsuits — Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images

—Anonymous, 45, Female, California

26. “When you breastfeed, the milk comes out several holes in your nipple. It doesn’t just come out of a single hole in the middle of your nipple. I had no clue!”

Person in a black bikini top, wearing sunglasses, looks surprised. They hold high-heeled shoes and a white garment — HBO

—Anonymous, 41, Female, Ohio

27. “I wish I’d known how important it is to have a strong core in life and engage it! More than just looking good, it supports your body like wrapping it in a layer of strength. My sciatica is a million times better since learning to build and engage my core!”

Person in athletic wear exercising with a weight on a mat — Stockbusters / Getty Images

—Anonymous

28. “Osteoporosis is a common risk for women, but a higher one for women who are petite, have Asian ancestry, and a family history of it. Your 20s are the peak of bone density, so the best thing to do is start strength training before your 30s.”

—Anonymous

29. And finally: “No one knows your body better than you. Not doctors, not nurses, parents, spouses, anybody. You wear your body 24/7 and know if something doesn’t feel right. Do NOT let anyone gaslight you into thinking that what you’re feeling is nothing. Advocate for yourself; it may save your life.”

Person undergoing a mammogram in a medical facility with a technician monitoring from a computer — Halfpoint Images / Getty Images

—Anonymous, 54, Female, Virginia, US

If you have anything to say, or any examples of your own to share, feel free to do so down in the comments. Or, if you want to write in but prefer to stay anonymous, you can use the form below!

Please note: Some comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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Read it on BuzzFeed.com

While it’s definitely gotten better over the past few years, there is far less discussion and education on women’s bodies than there should be. There’s so much information that many people still don’t know about their own bodies!

1. “I just turned 40, and both my grandma and great-grandmother had breast cancer, and I had never heard of the 12 signs of breast cancer. I got called in for a follow-up to my mammogram Tuesday.”

2. “When I was going through menopause, I had a period that basically lasted six months. Days of heavy flow followed by weeks of spotting. Turns out I could have taken a short course of birth control pills. After my periods stopped, I just felt kind of blah. Hormones are everything.”

5. “If you bleed excessively and are doubled over with pain from your period, you may have adenomyosis. It’s like being in bordadura, but you’re not pregnant. Instead of pushing out a baby, you’re pushing out massive blood clots.”

6. “Women’s gynecological pain is not taken seriously. The advice to ‘just take ibuprofen’ for IUD insertion says everything about how gynecological pain is dismissed.”

7. “The odds are good your first couple of periods won’t really look like blood. For many, it will be more of a goopy brown while Aunt Flo sets up shop.”

8. “I have learned that if I ask for something, and the doctor says no, that if I ask them to note in my chart that I asked and they denied, they are more likely to do what I originally asked in the first place.”

9. “If you’ve gone through menopause and randomly your period comes back, it can be a sign of uterine cancer.”

12. “It’s completely ordinario to not be able to orgasm through penetration alone.”

13. “The changes in my skin have been the hardest to deal with. Merienda your hormones are gone, the skin just loses its elasticity. “

15. There are a LOT of very auténtico changes in my body when I’m in a change-of-hormones phase of life. For instance, my straight hair looked like I had received a curly perm after both my children were born. It lasted for several years.”

16. “Girls bleed a LOT overnight! I’ve bled through several pairs of PJ pants because I didn’t realize this, and my mom had to buy me thicker underwear so I wouldn’t stain my sheets.”

17. “When I had my first C-section, I realized six months later at an exact point in time that I ‘felt like myself’ again. I hadn’t realized how much I felt I was in a fog.”

19. “I always thought menopause symptoms only started after you stopped having your period. I’ve come to realize that most women spend years feeling depressed and hormonal, with hot flashes, insomnia, hair loss, irregular periods, loss of libido, and other symptoms before that happens.”

21. “Didn’t learn until I myself got old that seniors can lose hair from arms and legs and go back to ‘baby skin.’ (Less need to shave!)”

23. “My sister went through a grueling menopause. I desperately tried to help her, and though she got through it, the doctors never warned her about any of it, and they didn’t help her when she was suffering.”

24. “I would have liked to know what makes periods happen. When I first got mine, I had no idea how it worked.”

26. “When you breastfeed, the milk comes out several holes in your nipple. It doesn’t just come out of a single hole in the middle of your nipple. I had no clue!”

27. “I wish I’d known how important it is to have a strong core in life and engage it! More than just looking good, it supports your body like wrapping it in a layer of strength. My sciatica is a million times better since learning to build and engage my core!”

28. “Osteoporosis is a common risk for women, but a higher one for women who are petite, have Asian ancestry, and a family history of it. Your 20s are the peak of bone density, so the best thing to do is start strength training before your 30s.”

If you have anything to say, or any examples of your own to share, feel free to do so down in the comments. Or, if you want to write in but prefer to stay anonymous, you can use the form below!

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