I came across a post the other day, which highlighted the fact that the only menstrual education given in schooling, was as part of ‘sex education’ programs in our schools, and merely being associated with conception (sure it is, but woah hang on a min, our cyclic lived experience is SO much more). And is this a once-per-year ‘sex-ed’ in our schools? Not only do girls, developing young women need to understand their bodies and menstrual cycles better, but boys need to understand this too, as part of dispelling myths, smashing shame and stigma, and honouring deeply lived experience. There certainly is a time for girls/women only gatherings for learning and sharing, but on the whole, menstrual cycle education CAN be included in sex education if done in a holistic, comprehensive manner. Validating and empowering the feminine, and boys growing up into men who are aware, supportive and compassionate to the woman’s experience, cycling for humanity.
Victoria of https://www.natureandme.co.uk/menstrual-cycle-awareness states:
“Menstrual cycle education is body literacy, NOT sex education. No matter what their future sexual interest, preferences or experiences be, or for that matter what sex education she receives, they will have a menstrual cycle (most likely) and good preparation can have a profound effect on how well this goes for her.”
Menstrual Cycle Education = Body Literacy = Body Agency & Knowledge = Power
So what IS good preparation?
Sex education and menstrual awareness DO share similarities in their goals, content, and approaches. Both aim to provide essential knowledge, promote health, and empower individuals with the information they need to make informed decisions, and to carry such knowledge and understanding with them across a lifetime, and build upon these basics.
The benefits of incorporating both are profound, and much needed for our next generation of aware, empowered young women AND interested, compassionate young men! Let’s take a look at the WHYs of incorporating both menstrual cycle awareness and sex education, for all genders, learning together.
Education – Kicking These Goals!
Understanding the Body – Both sex education and menstrual awareness focus on teaching people about their human body, including reproductive anatomy and physiological processes, that both inform a person’s deep lived experience.
Promoting Health and Wellbeing – They aim to promote physical and emotional health by providing accurate information and practical advice on maintaining hygiene and ways to improve wellbeing.
Empowerment Through Knowledge – Through educative sessions, both fields aim to empower people to take control of their own bodies and make informed decisions about their health. This alone, taken forward in life can have profound impacts on decision making, boundaries and self-worth.
Destigmatising and Normalising!
Busting Taboos – Both menstrual and sex education, seek to break down societal taboos and misconceptions surrounding sex, our sex organs and the menstrual cycle, which of course includes the bloody period! Part of taboo busting, involves creating an open dialogue, normalising these natural aspects of human life.
Encouraging Open Communication – This type of combined dialogue encourages open communication between parents, educators, and young people to foster a supportive and informative environment. Having these opportunities in a safe, supported space, to freely listen, learn, discuss, ask questions and contribute, enhances confidence whilst destigmatising the topics, which then ripples out into the world through one conversation at a time, subtly giving ‘permission’ for others to do/be the same.
An Inclusive and Holistic Approach
Diverse Lived Experiences – The diversity and needs of different individuals, including those of gender, sexual orientation, and cultural background, can be incorporated with both menstrual and sex education. This helps people to feel validated, share more understanding and empathy for lived experiences, and broadening perspectives in life. How amazing would it be for educators to research (ask their participants!) what cultural backgrounds they are from or what they’d like included, and embed cultural knowledge in learning for ALL in that space? Transformative.
Holistic Education – This adopts a comprehensive (bio-psycho-social) approach covering not just the biological aspects of our bodies, but also emotional, social, and ethical perspectives that are embedded in our rich daily lives. This is particularly so for the menstrual cycle and the lived experience of our menstruation phase, our period blood.
Preventive Education
Preventing Health Issues – One part of sex education addresses the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and avoiding pregnancies, while menstrual cycle knowledge creates awareness of menstrual health and possible issues and symptoms to look out for. Being able to observe your own body, understand when changes to your normal are taking place and when to seek medical help is vitally important. Awareness is the first key.
Promoting Safe Practices – Both menstrual and sex ed, emphasise the importance of safe practices. Safe sex in sex education and safe menstrual hygiene practices and options in menstrual awareness. Health, safety and holistic wellbeing link into the next section…
Support and Resources
Providing Resources – Both menstrual awareness and sex education can focus on providing access to resources such as contraceptives, menstrual products, and healthcare services.
Support Systems – It’s important to highlight the importance of support systems, not only that they exist, but describing the various avenues such as healthcare professionals, educators, community groups, family and friends, or peer support groups both online and in-person.
Period Poverty – Discussion around stigma free access to products and supports in local communities can be addressed in both sex and menstrual education, all genders together, as period poverty is a humanitarian health and dignity right, and affects all society.
Challenging Myths and Misinformation
Fact-Based Education – Both menstrual awareness and sex education, help to combat myths and misinformation by providing fact-based education, including the words we choose to use, having great impact. This helps us to have a clear, accurate, stigma-free understanding of our bodies and health. Delivery in such a way, shows how we can all speak without shame or embarrassment about our bodies and processes. Life with a body – we all have one!
Critical Thinking – Fact-based, open-dialogue educative sessions on both menstrual and sex education, encourages critical thinking and scepticism towards myths, stereotypes, and misinformation that is prevalent across all sectors of society.
Empathy and Respect YES!
Fostering Empathy – Both types of education emphasise the importance of empathy and respect towards others’ experiences and bodies. Without such education, all learning about each other, how can we grow understanding and compassion in the families, networks and communities we live?
Respecting Privacy – Both sex and menstrual health education reiterates the importance of respecting personal privacy and boundaries. We can learn about each other’s bodies, whilst encouraging healthy boundaries and empowerment to define them.
Through recognising the similarities across both menstrual cycle awareness and sex education, educators can utilise the strengths of both to promote holistic and inclusive learning. Of course there are various layers of education: we have educators in the state and private schooling systems, as well as community and natural learning in the home (and intentional teaching in daily life by parental figures), that could all benefit from this approach of combining sex and menstrual awareness education together, for girls and young women, boys and young men.
I’m wondering what your experience has been in the realm of ‘education’. Was it comprehensive and inclusive, was it minimal and you had to find your own answers along the way? How did you learn about the menstrual cycle and it’s juicy phases? In what ways do you think how you learned, impacted your own experiences? I will always encourage you to question the status quo, engage critical reflection in your own life and the norms in society, for ongoing learning, growing new perspectives and ways of being.
