Ask any child between the ages of 10-13 about their experience in health class, and prepare yourself for a slew of interesting answers. You would likely hear about splitting the boys and girls into separate classrooms, being sent home with deodorant and pads, images of STIs, and of course, the infamous birthing video. I myself remember being shuffled into a room of fifth grade girls, only to learn that I would soon begin to bleed once a month, and it would be terrifying. We were shown a video of what happens anatomically during the menstrual cycle, taught a bunch of new words like “ovaries” and “fallopian tubes”, and were each given a box of sanitary products that we didn’t know how to use.
I think it is a mistake for boys and girls to be educated separately, because this adds to a sense of otherness and mystery about the other side, which can lead to rumors and misinformation; I distinctly remember being asked multiple times by boys “can’t you just hold it in?” (referring to menstrual fluid). There is also a sense of secrecy around periods, as shown by the way adolescent girls hide their sanitary products and give them to each other discreetly. A common “nightmare scenario” trope is an adolescent girl getting her first period in class, in which everyone sees and makes fun of her, of course making her incredibly embarrassed. Also, there will likely come a time in everyone’s life where they have a close relationship with someone who is biologically different from them, whether it be romantic or not. Having knowledge about what different bodies go through allows for greater understanding and empathy for others, which is a universally beneficial quality to have.
Treating menstruation as simply a girl’s/women’s issue that boys and men don’t need to know about also contributes to the sense of taboo and secrecy around periods. Many fully grown men get uncomfortable when the subject comes up, even if they have wives and daughters themselves. Knowing that many people feel this way is what keeps many girls, including my younger self, from openly talking about their periods except when with other girls. I believe this is why many young girls feel shame or embarrassment about their own menstruation, despite it being a natural process that is old as humanity itself. This is why that educating all people, not just those who will experience menstruation, about the changes bodies go through during puberty is crucial.
Unruly Bodies 
Public school health classes and their treatment of bodies who menstruate need a closer look. I remember in my fifth grade health class, the one where they split us up by supposed gender, the guys finished early and they were peaking into our class windows and they were listening in on our discussions on our periods. This was seen as a huge invasion of privacy and the guys were all punished for doing so, most likely because of the embarrassment that my classmates felt. This embarrassment is only here, though, because of how society treats those who menstruate. Not to mention that you cannot tell who is menstruating, or going to menstruate in their future, based on how they look. Splitting us up could be really harmful to anyone questioning their gender. Furthermore, I do agree with you on the idea that cis boys should learn about this because “cant you just hold it in” is a question that could definitely be addressed in class. This article gave me a lot to think about! Agree with your overall points!
I think about this a lot. I live with my brother and I asked him to buy me pads recently and he bought tampons. He’s 23. I feel like because the education system fails so many of us, it’s my duty as a sister to educate my brothers on the most basic aspects of the female body. I think all the times I requested hot tea from my brothers and openly complained about cramps has helped them empathize.
I also wish they taught kids about puberty a little earlier. My friend went to Catholic school and thought she was dying when she got her period because they don’t cover that until high school.
Thank you for this article. As a young woman, I have to completely agree. I feel little girls and boys definitely shouldn’t be split up during health classes. I’m 22 years old and I have a lot of male friends who are still very misinformed about how a reproductive system and menstrual cycles work.
I know I personally still get nervous carrying sanitary napkins in public without it being covered by a bag. Sometimes, I’m like I don’t even care, I’m going through it, I’m carrying it out. But the majority of times, I get nervous or feel judged.. and I’m like but women have cycles?! But, I mean, I don’t even like other knowing when it’s that time of the month. The culture surrounding it all is simply draining.
Isn’t it wild how we’re supposed to keep this thing that so many bodies do all the time a *secret*? It’s truly wild. Why do you think menstruation is supposed to be so hidden?