Bring up that people wear tampons, sanitary pads, and menstrual cups to collect the expelled blood. Be sure to explain that this blood is lining that the body made to support a baby, and that the blood doesn't come from an injury. You can say, “People choose how they want to collect the blood.
While it is important for your boy to know about periods, you do not have to give him all the information at once. It may be helpful to increase his knowledge over time. Below is a guide for how to slowly build your boy's knowledge about periods.
Menstruation, or period, is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs as part of a woman's monthly cycle. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The menstrual blood is partly blood and partly tissue from inside the uterus.
"I explain that your uterus is about the size of your closed fist, and the lining of your uterus is just the inside of that fist. When you get your period over the course of several days, that lining of old blood and tissue slowly comes out of your body. Usually it's only about three tablespoons of blood total.
If there is one thing every woman wants a man to know, it is this. Menstruation is more than shedding a little blood every month. In case you did not know already, every month, a woman sheds her uterine lining, known as the endometrium. When a woman is on her cycle, the lining prepares itself to nest a fertilized egg.
"I'm here to listen if you want to talk about anything.” Give them a chance to open up to you. They might just want to vent about their cramps or talk about what's on their mind (especially if they're feeling sad). Your listening ear will make them feel truly supported.
Starting the conversation:
Sharing your own experiences about when you started your period, whether they're long or short, heavy or light, will help her feel more comfortable. Invite her to ask any questions she may have and answer them clearly.
Talking about periods shouldn't be one big talk at a particular age. Instead, start the conversation early and slowly build on your child's understanding.
Menarche is defined as the first menstrual period in a female adolescent. Menarche typically occurs between the ages of 10 and 16, with the average age of onset being 12.4 years.
Menopause is the time that marks the end of your menstrual cycles. It's diagnosed after you've gone 12 months without a menstrual period. Menopause can happen in your 40s or 50s, but the average age is 51 in the United States.
“Period” is rooted in the Greek words “peri” and “hodos” (periodos) meaning “around” and “way/path.” This eventually turned into the Latin “periodus” meaning “recurring cycle.” Use of the English term “period” to describe menstruation began in the early 1800s (1).
No matter how light your flow is, or even if there is no flow, bacteria can build up. Changing your pad every 3 or 4 hours (more if your period is heavy) is good hygiene and helps prevent bad odors. This is especially true if you'll be playing sports or rushing around from class to class.
Period symptoms include the presence of menstrual blood, lower abdominal cramps, breast tenderness, and moodiness. Some people experience symptoms like cramping and moodiness a few days before they begin bleeding. This article looks at the most common period symptoms.
The taboo around periods is a form of misogyny, emblematic of the broader subordination of women. Not talking to boys and men about our periods means a quiet subservience, allowing separate, gendered spheres to exist, which validates the idea that anything outside the cis-male experience is abnormal.
Between the ages of 8 and 13, girls typically experience: Their breasts begin to bud, and their areolas (pigmented area around the nipple) enlarge. Scant pubic hair appears. Height increases by about 2¾ inches per year.
Most young people will have their first periods when they're between 11 and 14½, but anywhere from 9-16 years is considered normal. Periods are likely to start soon if your child has: had a major growth spurt. grown some underarm and pubic hair.
Explain to your daughter that these body changes are completely normal. There is no shame or embarrassment in getting periods or occasionally staining her underwear. The menstrual cycle is a period of 21-45 days in which the uterus and ovaries respond to the changing levels of circulating hormones.
Refer to menstruation positively.
Some kids may think that the bleeding may be painful, like from a cut. Assure them that the bleeding does not hurt and is not painful. You can explain that some people experience cramps, which are muscle cramps in the body, but the pain does not come from bleeding.
It's normal for teens to miss a period, or even go a few months without one like you have. Your body is still growing and adjusting, and your hormones are still figuring their thing out.
The use of the period is one example of situational code-switching: When using one in a text message, it's perceived as overly formal. So when you end your text with a period, it can come across as insincere or awkward, just like using formal spoken language in a casual setting like a bar.
What Periods Communicate in Text Messaging. In the context of texting, other linguistic researchers have suggested that the period reads as final—as shutting down a conversation—and that it is more commonly used at the end of a sentence that is meant to convey unhappiness, anger, or frustration.