forward 28 days from the first day of your period. Are periods painful? Periods can sometimes be painful because of the hormone prostaglandin. Some girls produce too much of this hormone, and this makes the muscles of the womb go into cramp. You may get pains a day or two before your period starts. You can ease the pain by taking a painkiller or exercising or by placing a hot water bottle on your tummy. What sanitary protection should I use? Basically, whatever you feel is right for you and whatever you feel most comfortable with. The choices you have are: tampons: small, compacted absorbent cloth used internally, inserted into the vagina with an applicator or using a finger and has a string to assist removal sanitary towels: a piece of absorbent cloth that's worn outside the body. Some have adhesive strips to help stick to pants (keep away from pubes... you'll never make a mistake like that twice !!!!) or can have loops either end to attach to a belt. Tampons Any girl having a period can use tampons; it doesn't matter if she's a virgin. Tampons are rolls of cotton with a string attached to one end. They are inserted into the vagina using an applicator or with a finger, and once in place, cannot be felt.  The good news about tampons is you can be as active as you like with them, and even go swimming. You can also keep tampons in overnight and as long as