Historians said that most American parents have never felt comfortable discussing sex or bodily matters with their children.
That is why it is “strange” that parents in Florida would want schools to stop providing this educational service for girls that has helped countless girls and their parents, said Lara Freidenfelds, a historian and the author of “The Modern Period: Menstruation in Twentieth-Century America."
When Freidenfelds asked women who grew up at the start of the 20th century what it felt like getting their first period without knowing what to expect, they all said the same thing: “terrified, ashamed and confused,” said Freidenfelds.
“And if today’s young girls don’t know what to expect, we are going to see physical and mental health problems,” she said.
Freidenfelds said that, historically, American mothers weren’t really talking to their daughters about menstruation because they didn’t know the right language or the appropriate time to have the talk.
Companies like Kimberly-Clark, which make Kotex products, and Johnson & Johnson stepped in to close the knowledge gap by producing pamphlets with the necessary information about menstruation, Freidenfelds said.
And soon, schools took over the job of educating girls about their periods.
“Mothers felt good about the education the school was providing,” said Freidenfelds. “Why stop that now?”
Parents should be encouraged to have these conversations with their children, Freidenfelds added, but to take on the full responsibility of educating them about the mental and physical aspects of menstruation is a cultural shift.
“Banning young girls from discussing their periods in school means they could miss out on vital peer support and support from trusted teachers, mentors, and guidance counsellors,” said McClive, the Florida State University professor.
The connection between a girl’s first period and the knowledge and support that helps her deal with it has long been known. Varah noticed it eight decades ago.
“I made my debut in the ministry by burying a 14-year-old girl who’d killed herself when her periods started because she thought she had a sexually transmitted disease — which had a profound effect on me,” he said toward the end of his life.
The Samaritans, the charity he set up inspired by the girl, fielded 10,000 crisis calls in the United Kingdom in 2020. Local chapters in the United States have helped thousands of others struggling with mental health.