Periods and menstruation
What is a period? Will I get one? How will I know what happens when I start? How do I manage it?
Power:Period
Tags
Course Description
We'll talk through the period basics and help you know what may happen to your body so you can stay informed, make decisions personal to you and maybe learn something you didn't already know!
Over half of the worlds population experiences menstruation at some point. And yet many parts of the world, including more ‘developed’ countries receive little to no menstrual education - telling us what periods are and why we have them.
Periods and the menstrual cycle are a crucial part of human life and a good clear education is vital, yet the way we are taught about them varies greatly around the world, with many countries doing very little education or none at all.
Knowing about periods can empower young girls to make decisions about their bodies, and to be informed is to be empowered - which in turn leads to greater equality and opportunities for young girls.
This course aims to give you the information you need to learn about periods, share experiences and talk about menstruation in a bite-size form with the opportunity to dig deeper if required.
Units
Unit 1
What is a period?
Each month, the body ‘prepares’ for pregnancy by forming a lining within the uterus in readiness for a fertilised egg (released from an ovary) - when this doesn’t happen, the blood and tissue break down and become what’s known as a period.Periods typically start for young girls between the ages of 10-14 years old. You have a period every month, typically for around 4-7 days, for around 45 years!
Periods around the world are experienced differently. Where education is more freely available, teenage pregnancy rates are lower, girls stay in their education longer and gender equality is far more attainable.
To educate both sexes at a young age requires commitment from all areas of society, and knowing what a period is, in its most basic form, should be common knowledge for everyone - stigma and taboo free.
Unit 2
Managing my period.
What are my options to manage my period?
How you manage your period is entirely your choice and not one to be decided by others. It is what feels most comfortable for you and your own body.
Every flow, period length and period is different. Managing your period blood is one of the steps you should take to make it more comfortable.
Period products are what’s used to catch or absorb your blood and there are many types available.
There may be a range of products available to you but many factors determine your choice, for example if you have access to them general, if you can use them according to your religion, the cost of the product itself, the environmental impact, your facilities to wash them/dispose of them etc.
Go through the articles and videos below to see which one you think may suit you best.