A New Approach to Teaching About Menstruation
Jaley Hardy
How we teach about menstruation can have lasting effects on children and adolescents. For many individuals, school is the first and only place they learn about menstruation. It might be the place they have their first period or the place where they first feel shame or embarrassment around their period. Schools have an opportunity to be incredibly important sites in ending stigma and pursuing a more positive period equity goal. Schools have a long history of treating menstruation as something that should be hidden away, talked about in secrecy or it is trivialized and shamed. Often, when period conversations do happen at school, they are limited, segregated and do not include individuals who are trans or non-binary. Schools tend to provide a curriculum that does not include many vital elements of menstruation, leaving students confused, isolated and living in fear of their periods. Having proper education around menstruation can increase self-awareness and give students an opportunity to learn and have healthy, positive relationships with their bodies.
According to the organization HeyGirls (2019), curriculums around menstruation and periods tend to be very biological. Students are often shown scientific diagrams of the body and the biological mechanisms that come along with a monthly bleed. Along with the biological components, students are introduced to pads and tampons, and then essentially sent on their way. These curriculums and educational approaches fail to encompass everything that comes along with our periods. Students are rarely taught about the discomfort, pain and disruptions to daily life that might occur due to their period. In a recent Instagram poll, I asked followers what they felt they were missing from their menstruation education. It was reported that many adults who menstruate felt they did not learn important information regarding their periods. Things like how periods are expected to change over time, period and hormonal disorders, what is normal and what isn’t normal, period products outside tampons and pads, menopause and the emotional experience of a period to name a few. It was noted that many curriculums neglect to include how stress and lifestyles can impact your period, the impact of contraceptives or periods before and after pregnancy.
Plan International explains in their article, Boys Need to Start Talking and Learning about Periods, that children are separated by binary gender when teaching about menstruation. This can be problematic for several reasons. Firstly, it assumes that only females menstruate leaving any trans or non-binary students without crucial information they might need. Secondly, it teaches children that menstruating is not something you talk about openly with the opposite gender. Individuals report being bullied at school due to their periods, stains, pains and aches, mood swings and more. This can cause students to associate their periods with something negative. Students often don’t feel comfortable asking for guidance or advice due to the culture of secrecy around periods. Many individuals are left to suffer in silence for fear of bullying, shame or embarrassment. Finally, it leaves young boys without important knowledge of the body. Many men report spending very little time on the topic of menstruation as it was often skipped over entirely or ignored. Schools have a responsibility to teach students of all genders the mechanisms of the body and separating by binary gender does more harm than good.
There is often the assumption that individuals will have their first period around 13-15 years of age, however, for many individuals, their periods start at a much younger age. Elementary schools regularly do not have proper products for young students or places for students to properly dispose of their hygiene products. This can be awfully confusing for young students, many of whom are not able to get the advice and guidance they need at home. This is yet another way schools contribute to period stigma and shame.
Schools are a place of learning, exploration, growth and connection. It is important for students to receive a comprehensive education around menstruation that steps outside the limits of simple biology. Students need to learn more in-depth about the hormonal changes that can accompany not only puberty but their periods throughout life. It is important for them to understand the different period disorders, such as endometriosis, so that they can recognize the signs and symptoms and avoid misdiagnosis. Teachers should speak about periods honestly and casually when teaching students because there is nothing to be ashamed of. Schools have an amazing opportunity to help young students understand what to expect with their periods as they age and the different ways to relieve any discomfort. There is so much more to education around menstruation to be had than simple biology, and I sincerely hope our school curriculums can one day get there for our students.
References
Canada, P.I. (2018, May 28). Boys Need To Start Talking, And Learning, About Periods.
Our Approach to Period Education. Hey Girls. (2019, April 1).
https://www.heygirls.co.uk/our-approach-to-period-education/.
