Adequate Education about periods and menstruation is severely lacking in the United States
At the time of one’s first period, many young people simply learn how to apply a menstrual product such as a pad or tampon and that the period occurs every month. Young people usually turn to the internet or their close circle to gain information on their menstrual cycles. Perhaps during their teenage years, young girls are acquainted with the idea of regular/irregular period patterns and seeking care for any irregularities. Of course, there are implications in pregnancy and ovulation cycles that young girls must be informed of.
Menstrual health literacy is overarchingly lacking among young populations; the intersection of menstrual health literacy and one’s health and well-being is utterly imperative leading up until menopause. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatricians, physicians should treat asking about periods like any other regularity such as blood pressure and temperature at each visit. Notwithstanding, it is important for the patients themselves to truly comprehend the variations they may face in their menstrual cycles and how to best address them. Research conducted at Columbia University suggests that most girls rarely receive the adequate information/preparation before their first period. Now, this is increasingly more problematic as research from the CDC indicate that, nowadays, many girls are in elementary school when they receive their first period.
Because these girls are unable to attain the proper information regarding their period from parents, physicians, and trusted adults, social media and the internet serve as primary sources from which they receive this information. However, this may be problematic because such sources often reinforce menstrual stigma and may also deliver misinformation.
Theconversation.com provides some relevant statistics pertaining to this problem:
A survey conducted with members of the American Academy of Pediatricians reported that 24% of pediatricians surveyed do not provide regular guidance to young girls before their first period.
More than 33% of pediatricians surveyed reported that they don’t discuss periods with their current patients. Male pediatricians are also less likely to discuss the menstrual cycle, due to discomfort with the topic.
In many states, schools also do not have provisions for talking about menstrual health, which ultimately translates to health literacy in general. Only 30 out of the 50 states mandate sexual education in schools; however, not all of them require menstrual accuracy.
One survey conducted among women of childbearing age suggested that fewer than 50% knew the average duration of one menstrual cycle. Young women must be informed of regularities/irregularities in their period. Lack of such information can pose significant health risks to their adolescent health. As Marni Sommer of Columbia University states, “Health - including menstrual health - is a basic human right,” this includes a right to menstrual health literacy. Such bolstered practices in school have the ability to equip women with the proper reproductive care they may need and empower them to make self-sufficient decisions regarding their bodies.
