Lessons for boys and girls about periods should be compulsory at school, study finds
According to new research, boys and girls should be taught together at school to ensure that menstruation is better understood.
A study by the University of London University College (UCL) shows that the current school curriculum provides inadequate information to students.
It is reported that many students have taken only two lessons during the whole school career – one in the first and the other in secondary education. Researchers now call on the menstruation lessons in schools to be more comprehensive.
Since September 2020, relations and sex education in the UK is compulsory, while relationships education is compulsory in primary schools.
Professor Joyce Harper of UCL Women’s Health Institute said: eğitim educating students about periods may now be compulsory in schools in England and Wales, but we know that there are still two lessons in the entire school career for many. ”
Researchers argued that periods should be taught between mixed gender groups as well as one -sexed groups that some schools have not currently doing.
Prof Harper said: “Our focus groups also believed that men should be part of this education.
“It was decided that classes should not be separated according to gender, and he believed that mixed sessions were very important for men’s education.
“Some of them felt that mixed sessions were still necessary to improve the overall understanding, although they were valued in one -sexed classes to allow students to talk more freely.
“They argued that this could help men understand and support their friends and future partners through menopause.”
In general, according to 55 female age (18 to 25 and 26 to 40), two groups were divided into two groups and five focus groups were built for each group.
They were hired through social media, and most women were trained before they became compulsory in English schools.
Academics said that menstruation is “extremely stamped ve and that“ lack of education ından related to difficult periods limited individuals to ask for help.
Caroline Mosulin, a joint writer of UCL Women’s Health Institute, said, “Many women, uncertainties, fear of rejection by health professionals, a painful period or feeling of shame, uncertainties, because of the fear of being ignored by health professionals last lasts for menstrual problems.
“Stigma, privacy and painful periods ‘coping’ expectation contributes to the systemic dismissal of menstrual discomfort.”
The latest legal government guidance about relations, gender and health education in schools (RSHE) should be taught about menstruation in primary and secondary schools.
The guidance published last month says that they should learn the facts about the menstrual cycle, including physical and emotional changes to help students understand what they will expect at the end of primary school.
At the end of secondary school, students should learn about menstrual and gynecological health – including period problems such as premenstrual syndrome, heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome – and menopause.
The latest education guidance department says: “RSE classes should have the opportunity of both boys and girls to understand the experiences that are different from their heads, including menstruation and menopause.”
Schools in the UK will have to follow the legal RSHE guidance as of September 2026.
Sarah Sarah Hannafin, President of the Naht Policy Union of School Leaders, said, “Teaching periods is a vital part of health education for all students.
“Although many schools can separate classes to create a safe space for discussions on such issues, mixed gender groups should be planned because it is vital for students to understand the experiences of others.
“Schools need high -quality resources that can be used freely to support them to do this.
“The education of the periods needs more than a single course, but the curriculum in both primary and secondary schools has added a large number of new content without the creation of any additional time.”
Pepe Di’isio, Secretary General of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: uz We fully support the need to teach comprehensively of boys and girls beyond biological facts about menstruation and covering the wider effects on welfare.
“It is important to explicitly discuss this without false information or shame.
“When handled in the RSHE curriculum, we will think about how to teach this issue.”
