Menstrual Knowledge Cannot Be Spread Unless You Educate Your Sons – How To Do So?

We are in the 21st century, and many things seem to have changed for good over the years. Be it technology, perspectives, or literacy; you name, and it ought to have improved significantly in the last few years! However, despite all the progress we have made, some things are still considered a taboo. Well, at least in our country they still are.

Don’t you still see women shy away from saying the ‘P’ word out loud? And the embarrassment they face every time they walk into a medical store to ask for a pack of sanitary napkins? Due to the infinite number of taboos surrounding menstruation, menstrual knowledge continues to be scarce around us. Hence, this requires change. Women and men alike must be made aware of every menstruation-related detail to overcome unnecessary perceptions and gossip about the same!

But, how do you get yourself to do so? How can you help spread knowledge about women’s menstrual cycle for the betterment of our society as a whole? Well, what could be better than starting in your own homes?

Start at your home

Gone are the days when wives and daughters had to be discrete about that time of the month! To catch up with this fast-paced world, you must be on your toes every day. Your husband knows a lot more about menstruation now than he ever did all his life. So does your father, brother, and son! Hence, all you have to do is take one step forward and initiate a conversation about menstruation in front of the male folks of your family.

Here are some smart ways that you can try!

Break the ice

Did your monthly guest show up uninvited? And as luck would have had it, you also ran out of your sanitary pads just then! Now, instead of going to the store yourself or asking them to deliver sanitary napkins, why not ask your son at home to make the run for you? There’s no better way to break the ice than asking for help when the time calls for it! This can eventually also help you to start talking more openly about period products and sanitary products in general.

Stop shying away

Periods ought to have most women squirming with painful cramps. On such occasions, the male folks of your family who tend to check on your well-being often confront you. Most women don’t like delving into the actual cause of their distress in such situations. Well, it is high time you change that! Stop shying away from your menstrual cycle. Instead, start talking about it and what you are experiencing because of this biological process unfolding inside your body.

Educate, educate, and educate

One cannot stress enough on the significance of reproductive education for school-going children. Once girls and boys are educated about menstruation right from their school-going days, it becomes a lot easier to talk to them about the same. If you have adolescent boys around, make sure that menstruation is also a part of the conversations you have going around with them. Teaching boys, as well as girls about periods, period products, sanitary hygiene, and the use of period products right from their adolescence, makes it a lot easier to talk to them about it when the time calls for it.

Teach them respect

Boys often tend to make fun of chapters related to reproductive health right from school age. This attitude usually follows most of them into adulthood. Thus, the next time you catch your son teasing your daughter or any other girl concerning her menstrual cycle, make sure you confront him with the right facts then and there! This doesn’t just help prevent them from repeating such mistakes but also makes them aware of their wrong attitude.

It isn’t easy to normalize all the chaos around menstruation in our society. However, the best way to take an initiative that would make a difference is undoubtedly from your own homes. Once you can talk casually about periods, sanitary pads, and other period products in front of the male folks in your family, you will soon be able to carry forward this attitude in the presence of outsiders as well.

A parting note for all the women out there would be to start speaking about all their menstruation qualms openly. Periods aren’t anything to shy away from or be guilty of. It is an entirely normal process that happens inside your body every month. It is this very cycle that bestows you with the beautiful ability to bear children. You will never shy away from your babies, will you? Then there’s absolutely no reason to shy away from discussing a process that is a natural part of your being - your monthly menstrual cycle.