The writer’s first intimate experience was not the tender memory they imagined — it was a moment swallowed by fear, confusion, and pain. What began as curiosity quickly became chaos, ending in tears and a rushed hospital visit. The emotional aftermath lingered far longer than the physical wounds. Beneath the surface of embarrassment and regret lay something much deeper — the cost of silence and the absence of education about consent, safety, and body awareness.

Doctors later explained the injury could have been avoided with the right knowledge, but no one had ever taught them what to expect. That lack of guidance turned vulnerability into trauma. The writer now shares their story as both a confession and a call for change — because when society refuses to talk openly about sexual health, young people are left to learn through pain. True safety begins not in the moment itself, but in the conversations we’re too afraid to have.