Menstruation Health Article

Parental concerns

Though menstruation is no longer the taboo subject it once was, many parents still find that discussing the issue with their daughters can be uncomfortable. This is especially common in families in which the mother is not present. Still, it is important to discuss menstruation with girls when they are preteens, so that they do not experience the potential embarrassment or trauma if they start their first period without knowledge about what is happening to their bodies. Taking the time to prepare may help to make this discussion less awkward.

BOOKS

Loulan, JoAnn, and Bonnie Worthen. Period: A Girl's Guide to Menstruation. Minnetonka, MN: Book Peddlers, 2001.

PERIODICALS

Chumlea, William Cameron, et al. "Age at Menarche and Racial Comparisons in U.S. Girls." Pediatrics 111 (January 2003): 110–14.

ORGANIZATIONS

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 409 12th Street, SW, PO Box 96920, Washington, DC 20090–6290. Web site: <www.acog.org>.

The Center for Young Women's Health. 300 Longwood Avenue, Box 310, Boston, MA 02115. Web site: <www.youngwomenshealth.org>.

WEB SITES

"Frequently Asked Questions about Menstruation and the Menstrual Cycle." 4woman.gov-The National Women's Health Information Center, November 2002. Available online at <www.4woman.gov/faq/menstru.htm> (accessed October 25, 2004).

"Period Talk: Preparing Your Preteen for Menstruation." Available online at <www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=FL00040> (accessed October 25, 2004).

Deanna M. Swartout-Corbeil, RN