Do you remember your first period?

Maybe it came when you were at school, and you noticed a red stain on your uniform before you even knew what it meant. Maybe you ran to the bathroom, convinced that something was wrong. 

Or perhaps your mother had already told you about periods, and when it finally happened, you knew exactly what to do.

For many girls, the first period is a strange mix of confusion, embarrassment and fear. There is blood where there wasn't any before, a body that suddenly seems unfamiliar, and often one overwhelming question: Am I okay?

Sometimes, the most memorable part isn't the period itself but how the adults around you reacted. 

A calm ‘You're fine, this is normal’ can make the experience feel ordinary. 

A panicked reaction, a warning to hide the stain, or an awkward silence can make a child feel that menstruation is something to be embarrassed about.

And that is precisely why the conversation about periods should begin before the first period arrives.

A child who already knows what menstruation is, why it happens, and what she can do when it starts is far less likely to mistake it for an injury or feel helpless in the moment. 

Period education, then, isn't simply about explaining the menstrual cycle. It is about giving a child enough information and confidence to know that my body is changing and that I know what to do.

Start before the first period

Parents don't need to sit their child down for one intimidating ‘period talk’. In fact, the conversation can be much easier when it happens gradually.

Dr Neha Abhijit Pawar, Consultant in Gynaecology at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, recommends beginning conversations around the age of 8 or 9, using simple, age-appropriate language.

In a conversation with The Better India, Dr Pawar says parents can introduce menstruation naturally while discussing growing up, body changes and hygiene. Signs such as breast development or the appearance of pubic or underarm hair can also become an opportunity to explain that more changes will........

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