When I was a young girl the information I got on how my body worked was pretty limited. We got the basics in biology and it was mainly focused on letting you know that you got a period every month and that one day you would have a baby. Nothing was said on how the endocrine system worked, on how our bodies let us know what stage of our cycles we’re at or on how our environment can influence our hormonal health. Instead, education focuses on teaching children and teenagers how babies are made and how to avoid it, a.k.a. wear a condom, abstain, etc. It’s more “Sex Ed” and less Biology.
As an adult now and Co-Founder of Ovatemp, a personalized fertility tracking tool, I realize education on the matter is still very poor and it is in our hands to change that. There are so many taboos that we have to overcome, so many misconceptions, so much misinformation, and if we want to make it right we have to do it ourselves. We owe it to every young girl out there to make the revolution happen.
So in the spirit of changing this and creating more self appreciation for future generations, I talked to several women and asked what they would’ve liked or benefited from when talking about reproductive health to grownups. Here are a few overarching themes that came up and may help when talking to girls about how their bodies work and how they should be proud and #periodpositive:
- Don’t label girls/women as emotional and complicated. Instead, try to understand how our endocrine systems influence our mood and work with your body embracing those feeling and channeling them positively. Teach girls to respect the signals their bodies give them and don’t dismiss mood swings as irrational and annoying. Find ways to enable them to listen to how they are feeling and learn to deal with their emotions in a positive and productive way.
- Don’t be ashamed of your period. I’m not saying you have to publish it on Facebook or tweet about it, (except if you’re into it, if so, more power to you! #livetweetyourperiod) but don’t treat it like it’s something gross that you should hide. Instead be grateful for your period, the fact that your body is working appropriately and your fertile health is top notch!
- Understand the different signs and symptoms. This is a big one because so many other fertility signs and symptoms are ignored. It’s not just about periods. There’s cervical fluid, temperatures and even secondary symptoms like cramps and migraines that tell us so much about our hormonal health. I highly recommend that as soon as a girl gets her period she starts to learn how to keep track of all the fertility signs our body gives us. This way when the time comes she’ll have the knowledge to make informed decisions when it comes to birth control and fertile health.
- Make it exciting. A girl should always feel proud about her body. When she gets her first period try to make it exciting for her (just don’t be overbearing). If she asks for privacy, show her she can trust you and, above all, be open to conversation so that when any type of questions are asked you are prepared to answer them in a constructive, empowering way. here’s a great list of some common Period Questions and Answers that might come up.
- Never complain about womanhood. Girls learn from their surroundings. If they listen to you complain about periods and cramps they’ll end up feeling that way themselves. So when given the opportunity, show them how amazing women’s bodies are. Show them that the capability of creating human life, giving birth to it and feeding a baby are nothing but marvelous! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: women have this amazing ability, let’s brag about it!
