At 14, she thought she had her first period, but when the bleeding went from monthly to daily, a Chicago teenager was diagnosed with a rare vaginal cancer typically found in women after menopause

JordanSeptember 17, 2025

At the age of 14, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Liliana “Lili” Castaneda thought she had her first menstrual cycle. At first, she was actually excited about it, but then, the monthly bleeding turned into daily bleeding. Castaneda was bleeding so much that she would soak through menstrual pads in 15 minutes and would get dizzy when standing up.

Healthcare menopause Menstruation Reproductive rights Women's Health

By Jordan