Period cycle is not just about hygiene and dignity. It is also about health.
Most often, while educating young people on the period cycle, we talk about access, and stigma, but we rarely discuss the health conditions linked to it.
Period cycles can reveal a lot about what is happening inside the body.
Irregular, painful, heavy, or absent period may be signs of underlying conditions.
These conditions include Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, and menstrual disorders including amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea.
Anemia is a condition not widely spoken of in relation to period, but it can worsen w.
We focus on educating young girls about hygiene, how to use their pads and how to make reusable pads.
Also trying to destigmatize menstruations amongst their peers but we fail to incorporate the predisposing factors.
Adolescents and young people deserve not only to understand period cycle, hygiene, and dignity.
But also understand the risk factors that could increase their flow or decrease it.
Ignoring period health means missing early warning signs. We need to move the conversation from ‘managing periods” to “understanding what your period is telling you about your health”.
Perfect read. So much knowledge
Thank you