Breaking the Stigma: Why Menstrual Health & Hygiene Education Still Matters

Mrs. Twymeika Hill-Jones
3 days ago
4 min read

Lemme Learn You Sum’n…

Because the cycle isn’t the problem—silence is.

Menstrual cycles have been happening since the beginning of time—yet here we are, still whispering, still hiding pads, still raising daughters who feel more shame than sovereignty.

Nah. Not on our watch.

When we normalize menstrual health and hygiene education—from the classroom to the kitchen table—we don’t just raise girls who know what’s happening in their bodies… we raise women who know how to advocate for themselves. #PeriodT.

Why Menstrual Health Education Still Feels So Taboo

Let’s be real. Many of us weren’t taught anything about our bodies—except to hide them. Some got the “just don’t get pregnant” talk, others got silence, shame, or a scary diagram we never saw again. That silence creates stigma. And that stigma creates real consequences.

📊 Did you know?

Over 500 million people globally lack access to adequate menstrual products and education
In the U.S., 1 in 5 girls have missed school due to lack of period products
A survey of Texas students (134 young people) found 96% said they didn’t want to be at school during their period, and more than half had missed class or left school early because of it.
80% of teens say they feel uncomfortable in school during their period due to stigma
In Texas as a whole, 62% of women reported lacking adequate resources for menstrual needs, with disproportionate impact on single mothers and minorities.
A national review found that menstrual‑health education remains profoundly rare in U.S. K–12 public education standards.

Let that sink in.

Why Menstrual Health & Hygiene Education Changes Everything

Teaching girls and their communities about periods isn’t just a hygiene issue—it’s a justice issue. An equity issue. A self-esteem issue.

When we center reproductive health and self-esteem, we help our girls:

Feel normal, not “nasty”
Show up to school or work without fear or
embarrassment.
nderstand the changes in their body instead of hiding them
Recognize when something isn’t right (like pain or heavy bleeding)
Speak up about their needs with confidence

When education is done right, girls feel seen, prepared, and powerful.

How to Teach Menstrual Health Without the Shame

Whether you’re a mama, daddy (esp co-parenting or single dad) mentor, educator, Girl Scout leader, or community auntie—here’s how we start raising cycle confidence, not confusion:

Start Before the Blood

Teach early. Talk often. Make it regular—not random.

🧠 Teach All Genders

Boys and men need to be part of the conversation too. They can’t be allies if they’re clueless.

🎨 Use Real-Life Tools

Books. Products. Stories. Diagrams. Affirmations. Make it visual, engaging, and reflective of us.

🧘🏾‍♀️ Normalize Emotions

Hormones are real. Crying, mood swings, craving hot fries at 2 AM? That’s real too. Help girls feel what they feel without shame.

🗣️ Make It Safe to Ask

Create spaces where no question is off-limits. Where no one gets laughed at or silenced.

📟 Challenge Harmful Beliefs

Respect the culture—but name what no longer serves us. Periods aren’t a curse. They’re a calling, a calling into her power & purpose, her rites of passage

What Should Be Included in Menstrual Health Education?

Let’s stop giving watered-down lessons and start teaching girls the full truth about their bodies.

✔️ Anatomy + Cycle Phases✔️ How to Use Pads, Tampons, Cups, Cloths✔️ How Food, Stress & Sleep Affect Your Period✔️ When to Seek Help for Pain, Cysts, or Irregularity✔️ Mental + Emotional Health Tools✔️ How to Track & Tune Into Your Body's Rhythm

Technology Can Help—If Used Right

Phones aren’t the enemy. In fact, they can be part of the healing.

🫈 Period apps help track cycles and moods
🎥 YouTube and TikTok break down taboo topics in bite-sized truths
💼 Virtual workshops and live events bring trusted voices into homes
📲 Social media campaigns offer visibility and community

Just make sure the content is culturally relevant, inclusive, and rooted in real knowledge—not just trend-based messaging.

We Need the Whole Village

We can’t rely on schools alone. This is our work too.

🫶🏾 Host a pad party or community teach-in

🫶🏾 Donate products to schools, shelters, and pantries

🫶🏾 Invite fathers and brothers into the conversation

🫶🏾 Talk to your school boards about curriculum and access

🫶🏾 Share this post, tag your village, and keep the convo going

So Now What?

You’ve read the stats. You feel the urgency. So here’s what you can do next:

📚 Read Emerging Gracefully

My book was written to help girls navigate their cycles with confidence and pride—and to help YOU talk to them without feeling awkward, overwhelmed, or unprepared.

✨ It’s for mamas. Mentors. Aunties. Fathers. Educators. Girl Dads. Girl Bosses.✨ It's full of affirmations, real talk, sacred lessons, and cycle wisdom.

👉🏾 Grab your copy today at https://a.co/d/4PseDcg

Because our girls deserve better—and this book is the tool you didn’t know you needed.

Final Word: Let’s Talk, PERIOD.

This ain’t just about teaching girls to manage their periods. It’s about teaching them to manage their power. When we make menstrual health and hygiene education a priority, we’re telling our girls:

You are not a problem to be solved. You are a force to be witnessed. You are sacred. Cyclical. And whole.

Let’s stop passing down silence and start passing down sovereignty.

Let’s Talk, PERIOD.

Lemme Learn You Sum’n…

Because the cycle isn’t the problem—silence is.

Menstrual cycles have been happening since the beginning of time—yet here we are, still whispering, still hiding pads, still raising daughters who feel more shame than sovereignty.

Nah. Not on our watch.

When we normalize menstrual health and hygiene education—from the classroom to the kitchen table—we don’t just raise girls who know what’s happening in their bodies… we raise women who know how to advocate for themselves. #PeriodT.

Why Menstrual Health Education Still Feels So Taboo

Let’s be real. Many of us weren’t taught anything about our bodies—except to hide them. Some got the “just don’t get pregnant” talk, others got silence, shame, or a scary diagram we never saw again. That silence creates stigma. And that stigma creates real consequences.

📊 Did you know?

Over 500 million people globally lack access to adequate menstrual products and education

In the U.S., 1 in 5 girls have missed school due to lack of period products

A survey of Texas students (134 young people) found 96% said they didn’t want to be at school during their period, and more than half had missed class or left school early because of it.

80% of teens say they feel uncomfortable in school during their period due to stigma

In Texas as a whole, 62% of women reported lacking adequate resources for menstrual needs, with disproportionate impact on single mothers and minorities.

A national review found that menstrual‑health education remains profoundly rare in U.S. K–12 public education standards.

Let that sink in.

Why Menstrual Health & Hygiene Education Changes Everything

Teaching girls and their communities about periods isn’t just a hygiene issue—it’s a justice issue. An equity issue. A self-esteem issue.

When we center reproductive health and self-esteem, we help our girls:

Feel normal, not “nasty”

Show up to school or work without fear or

embarrassment.

nderstand the changes in their body instead of hiding them

Recognize when something isn’t right (like pain or heavy bleeding)

Speak up about their needs with confidence

When education is done right, girls feel seen, prepared, and powerful.

How to Teach Menstrual Health Without the Shame

Whether you’re a mama, daddy (esp co-parenting or single dad) mentor, educator, Girl Scout leader, or community auntie—here’s how we start raising cycle confidence, not confusion:

Start Before the Blood

Teach early. Talk often. Make it regular—not random.

🧠 Teach All Genders

Boys and men need to be part of the conversation too. They can’t be allies if they’re clueless.

🎨 Use Real-Life Tools

Books. Products. Stories. Diagrams. Affirmations. Make it visual, engaging, and reflective of us.

🧘🏾‍♀️ Normalize Emotions

Hormones are real. Crying, mood swings, craving hot fries at 2 AM? That’s real too. Help girls feel what they feel without shame.

🗣️ Make It Safe to Ask

Create spaces where no question is off-limits. Where no one gets laughed at or silenced.

📟 Challenge Harmful Beliefs

Respect the culture—but name what no longer serves us. Periods aren’t a curse. They’re a calling, a calling into her power & purpose, her rites of passage

What Should Be Included in Menstrual Health Education?

Let’s stop giving watered-down lessons and start teaching girls the full truth about their bodies.

✔️ Anatomy + Cycle Phases✔️ How to Use Pads, Tampons, Cups, Cloths✔️ How Food, Stress & Sleep Affect Your Period✔️ When to Seek Help for Pain, Cysts, or Irregularity✔️ Mental + Emotional Health Tools✔️ How to Track & Tune Into Your Body's Rhythm

Technology Can Help—If Used Right

Phones aren’t the enemy. In fact, they can be part of the healing.

🫈 Period apps help track cycles and moods

🎥 YouTube and TikTok break down taboo topics in bite-sized truths

💼 Virtual workshops and live events bring trusted voices into homes

📲 Social media campaigns offer visibility and community

Just make sure the content is culturally relevant, inclusive, and rooted in real knowledge—not just trend-based messaging.

We Need the Whole Village

We can’t rely on schools alone. This is our work too.

🫶🏾 Host a pad party or community teach-in

🫶🏾 Donate products to schools, shelters, and pantries

🫶🏾 Invite fathers and brothers into the conversation

🫶🏾 Talk to your school boards about curriculum and access

🫶🏾 Share this post, tag your village, and keep the convo going

So Now What?

You’ve read the stats. You feel the urgency. So here’s what you can do next:

📚 Read Emerging Gracefully

My book was written to help girls navigate their cycles with confidence and pride—and to help YOU talk to them without feeling awkward, overwhelmed, or unprepared.

✨ It’s for mamas. Mentors. Aunties. Fathers. Educators. Girl Dads. Girl Bosses.✨ It's full of affirmations, real talk, sacred lessons, and cycle wisdom.

👉🏾 Grab your copy today at https://a.co/d/4PseDcg

Because our girls deserve better—and this book is the tool you didn’t know you needed.

Final Word: Let’s Talk, PERIOD.

This ain’t just about teaching girls to manage their periods. It’s about teaching them to manage their power. When we make menstrual health and hygiene education a priority, we’re telling our girls:

You are not a problem to be solved. You are a force to be witnessed. You are sacred. Cyclical. And whole.

Let’s stop passing down silence and start passing down sovereignty.

Let’s Talk, PERIOD.

Comments