I placed the box of tampons on the counter so I could rummage through my bag for my wallet. The shop assistant’s eyes flicked downwards to register what I was purchasing and in one deft move she reached under the counter for a paper bag and stuffed the small box into it.

“It’s alright. I don’t need a bag,” I said looking up from my handbag to the woman who I estimated to be roughly the same age as me.

“Oh, I think it’s better if I put them in a bag for you,” she said, glancing at the gentleman waiting in the queue behind me.

In my head I wanted to say to her: “Are you for real? I’m sure that man can cope with the fact that women menstruate, which is exactly what I am doing right now by the way. There is absolutely nothing shameful about menstruating, or tampons for that matter, so no…I DO NOT NEED A BAG!”

But instead, I just said “Oh…okay.”

I grabbed my paper bag concealing my secretive box of tampons and scurried out of the shop, feeling a little cranky with myself.

I can’t remember the last time I felt embarrassed about the idea of buying tampons or sanitary towels. It’s been a long time since I’ve been embarrassed about much at all really. I think the concept of embarrassment left my brain the minute I was asked to spread my legs for a student nurse to peer at the crown of my first baby’s head.

I do, however, remember discovering a box of tampons in my sister’s room when I was roughly nine or 10 years old. She had some friends staying over at the time and I was allowed to lurk in the background and listen to the girly chatter. As I listened I also took it upon myself to open her top drawer and see what was inside.

“What’s this?” I asked loudly, holding up the tampon in my hand. Needless to say the annoying little sister was quickly thrown out of the bedroom and never allowed back in.

I also remember the shock and delight I felt when I first watched The Young Ones infamous tampon scene. Truth be told, it still makes me chuckle. It starts at about 1.30, however the whole scene is worth a watch if you have time.

So I was planning to use the ‘paper bag’ incident (which only happened last week) to write a piece to unwrap the humble tampon as something we should no longer be ashamed of.

But it seems I’m too late.

After a quick straw-poll on Facebook and Twitter, it looks like I’m not the only person who has moved on from the days of hiding my box of tampons under the cornflakes in my shopping trolley. In fact, one of my friends admitted she finds the sugar content in the children’s cereal in her trolley more embarrassing than her feminine hygiene products.

So why did that shop assistant insist of shoving my box of tampons into a paper bag? A habit perhaps as one friend suggested to me? Cultural differences? Maybe her personal beliefs bring with them a different perspective I should respect.

Or perhaps, unlike the rest of us, she just hasn’t moved on.

Do you have a funny tampon story? Or is it just not funny anymore?