If you’ve read my memoir, Amish Girl in Manhattan, saw one of my posts on social media, or heard me speak, you might not be surprised by what I’m about to say: I didn’t know what my period was the first time I had it.

(Keep scrolling for the video version of this post.)

I’m not the only fundamentalist-raised girl who didn’t know what her period was. This isn’t unique to Amish girls, but what is more unique is that we don’t have access to the internet to teach ourselves when our mothers a...