Menstruation used to be known as the curse. This is Judeo-Christian, and many other Patrirachal religions brainwashing technoque for dis-empowering women for thousands of years, like the cursing and defaming of Eve, Lillith etc.
Indiginous peoples such as Native Americans and Hawaiians honoured women's monthly bleeding cycles as Sacred. That time of the month was called Moon Time and Native Indian women went to Moon Lodges,huts,or shelters in the ground to set apart their regular cycles from their bleeding times. It was noted that women were at the height of their psychic powers when bleeding, and so that time set aside was not originally to shun them or see them as unclean but to empower them to be with their bodies, their blood flows, to dream, rest,and renew.

Before the advent of modern electric lighting all women bled at the same time. Ladies you know yourselves that this is still true today when women live together their cycles blend together and  occur at about the same time,even with artificial light interfering with our cycles. Because our bodily rythyms are governed by the Moon, all women ovulated on the Full Moon, where a big bright ova shined down on the earth from the sky, and all women menstruated on the dark or New Moon. All women were psychically and physically joined together in their rhythms! Imagine the power of that!
Well of course it terrified the men,so what was originally considered scred became taboo. The name became twisted in its meaning as thousands of years of Patriarchal and religious rule took over.

A young girls menarche, or first menstruation was an occassion to celebrate. The girl was set apart, some endured tests and physical hardships as an initiation into adulthood, and perhaps to prepare her for the work of eventually being able to give birth. Evry young girl should be honoured as she becomes a woman at this time.