While serving in the Peace Corps I was dating a host country national not from my host village.

It was a dynamic and exciting relationship that was not interrupted by a delayed menstrual cycle. I was never regular, however, similar to the novelty of just about every other aspect of my service, being multiple weeks late had never happened before. My funding was extremely limited.

While medical expenses were covered by PC medical services, I was not particularly interested in contacting the loving medical team who had spent 3 months of pre-service training literally doing song and dance encouraging the wrapping of reproductive organs. My scrappy partner in the crime promised he could find a pill in the black market that would make my period come. This is only one of the numerous activities in which I partook while serving demonstrating my complete and utter embrace of the local culture. The country in which I was serving has abortion illegalized with 2 years prison sentence to a woman who consents to an abortion.

If I was pregnant, I would have to be flown to a neighboring country for the abortion. Abandoning my village. Our projects. Would they even let me come back or just ship me back to The States for treatment like my counterpart who reported rape?

After a journey to the world of inter web connectivity, I googled the pill in my hand. What about the women who live in my village and don’t have internet access? What dangerous activities would they engage in to induce the same? The pill appeared to be a uterine stimulant… make my period come. It did. During a significantly uncomfortable night holding my lower abdomen my period came. This was all I wanted. Bacterial infections hurt more.

This is not an official Peace Corps Document.