Health writer and educator Marni Sommer is a co-author of A Girl’s Guide to Puberty and Periodsaims to help young people ages 9 to 14 understand the changes that occur during puberty and what to expect when.
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Grow & Know / Screenshot by NPR
Health writer and educator Marni Sommer is a co-author of A Girl’s Guide to Puberty and Periodsaims to help young people ages 9 to 14 understand the changes that occur during puberty and what to expect when.
Grow & Know / Screenshot by NPR
Something that few people have talked about since then Roe v. Wade was overturned is how abortion restrictions will affect young girls across the United States.
Around the time of their period, many young people learn the basic mechanics of managing their period, such as how to put on a bandage or tampon, and it happens once a month. Traditionally, they can also get some advice to keep their periods private. Young people can get information about menstruation from a family member, friend or teacher, or by searching the internet.
But often only later do they learn and truly understand the more complex details of the menstrual cycle. This includes guidance on frequent and abnormal patterns and when to seek medical attention for any change in duration, duration or overall experience, including severity of menstrual pain or heavy bleeding. These conversations also have obvious implications for Ovulation and contraception.
Now, with overturned Roe v. WadeYoung people who have just started menstruating also need to learn how to recognize missed periods as soon as possible. In the past, a young person’s delay in mentioning a missed period or skipping it by a few months might not indicate any particular urgency. However, in the future, in the context of a ban on abortion for as short as a few weeks, even a missed period can have serious impacts on a young person’s life.
Conversely, it is important for young people to know that irregular periods can be normal and that it is not always a cause for alarm.
I used to study the experiences of young people with menarche – the beginning of menstruation – around the world for almost 20 years. In 2018, my team set out to explore American girls’ experiences with their periods, including their recommendations for what all young girls need to know when they hit puberty and start menstruating.
Based on those recommendations and insights, we published A Girl’s Guide to Puberty and PeriodsA graphic novel style book with body-positive illustrations that includes first period stories, tips, and questions written by girls.
Globally, I’ve learned that girls growing up in Africa, Asia and here in the United States often receive inadequate information and support about their periods.
Information on menstruation is incomplete
Understanding menstrual health, or one’s understanding of the menstrual cycle and its intersection with one’s health and well-being, is essential from the time leading up to the first menstrual period until menopause.
Both American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that just as doctors and nurses check someone’s blood pressure or temperature at each visit, they should also ask about menstruation.
These professional associations suggest that health care providers prepare girls and their families for the onset of menstruation and ensure that they understand changing economic patterns. moon.
My team’s research in the US focused on young women in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Our findings along with research on state menstrual education standards across the country, suggesting that the United States has a long way to go in imparting knowledge about menstrual health to its population. Our research shows that many girls do not receive guidance before their first period or have been given information that feels outdated and difficult to relate to. Think educational videos made in the 1990s.
A recent release from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the average age of menstruating decreased from 12.1 years old in 1995 to 11.9 years old in 2017. This means that today, many girls are in primary school when they get their first period.
For this reason, it is clear that young people in 4th or 5th grade need health education to deal with menstruation. Girls without education and support – especially those who had their first period at a young age – are more likely to suffer from depression and low self-esteem. Ethnic minority and low-income girls especially vulnerable.
However, many American girls still do not learn basic information about their menstrual cycle at home, school or from health care providers. According to our research, parents often uncomfortable discussing periodsmaybe because it feels so sexual.
Our research also records the stories of the first period of American girls in 25 states and found that many young people are afraid and ashamed to ask for advice when starting their period.
The glamor
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Lots of missed opportunities
The Internet and social media, which are important sources of news and guidance for many young people, can provide misinformation or reinforce menstrual stigma. And a 2020 study of members of the American Academy of Pediatrics found that 24% of pediatricians surveyed do not often provide instructions before the first period. Furthermore, 33% did not discuss menstruation with menstruating patients. Male pediatricians were also less likely to assess a patient’s menstrual cycle and provide information, perhaps because of discomfort with the subject.
The school may also not provide the necessary instruction. In the state of New York, where I work, there is no requirement to provide menstrual health education and sex education. not required to be taught or to be medically correct. Only 30 states and Washington, DC, mandate sex education in schools, but not all of them require medical accuracy.
It’s hard to know if many states will even include menstrual health in the curriculum, since data is limited and public information isn’t always available. I believe that, given the importance of understanding menstrual health at the end of elementary school, schools may consider providing pubertal education – including menstrual health – separate from pre-school education. sex education. This is especially true in states that are hesitant to mandate sex education.
Menstrual health knowledge translated into health knowledge
A survey of women of childbearing age found that only about 50% know average number of days of a regular menstrual cycle. Not knowing what is normal or abnormal in relation to the average menstrual cycle – from how often you get your period to how much bleeding or painful it is – increases health risks for girls or women. adult.
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Health – including menstrual health – is a basic human rights. For menstruating women, this means the right to an understanding of menstrual health, along with being able to seek care for a variety of menstrual disorders and reproductive health. These range from dysmenorrheaor severe pain, Endometrial optimism, a condition in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus and can cause irregular periods and significant discomfort. Both require diagnosis and treatment.
Menstruation is one public health problem and a long overdue for increased attention and resources, starting with – but not limited to – understanding of menstrual health. The downfall of Roe add urgency to this public health priority.
This story was originally published in an online magazine Conversation. Marni Sommer is an associate professor of sociology at Columbia University and received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop guidance on indicators and related measures to improve national monitoring of progress. Global Menstrual Health and Hygiene Department.
