How did you learn about periods for the first time? Was it in a fifth grade classroom, split by sex? An embarrassing conversation with parents?
No matter what, it might’ve been confusing the first time around. When Kristyn Brandi, an OB/GYN and family planning doctor, learned about periods as a teen, she had tons of questions: “Why does it happen? What if it doesn’t happen in the normal way? And what is the normal way?”
When menstrual health researcher Mandi Tembo learned about periods, she said they felt “like a secret.”
Periods affect our lives in countless, connected ways, especially as we get older. But most of us haven’t learned about them since we were kids — if we learned at all. Learning to manage your period can help you take control of your health, emotional well-being, social life and even your finances.
At Life Kit, we thought it was high time for a refresher. So we asked two period experts: How would they give the period talk? Here are six of their biggest pieces of advice.
1. Understand the science behind your period
If you want to get acquainted with your body and how your period affects it, you need to know the science first. While the average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, no two cycles are the same — so, start by figuring out what your individual timing is and what your hormone fluctuations look like.
To start, your cycle will consist of four steps:
This chart shows the four…
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