Talking to Boys About Periods

Before you start talking about periods, it is a good idea to teach your boy about the differences between boys’ and girls’ bodies. Once they understand how boys’ and girls’ bodies are different, you can talk about the changes that girls go through at puberty including periods. For more information on talking to your child about the differences between boys’ and girls’ bodies go to Teaching about Differences Between Boys’ and Girl’s Bodies.

Talking to boys about periods doesn’t have to be a serious conversation. Instead you can look for everyday opportunities to talk about periods and how they are a normal part of life. It may be that:

• you ask your child to put away the sanitary products after you have done the shopping
• your child walks in on their mother in the bathroom while she is changing her pad
• your child finds their sister’s brightly wrapped tampons or pads in her bag or bathroom drawer

Use these opportunities to start a conversation with your boy about periods. It doesn’t have to be a long conversation. Instead, try series of short conversations where you give them a little bit more information each time.

While it is important for your boy to know about periods, you do not have to give him all the information at once. It may be helpful to increase his knowledge over time. Below is a guide for how to slowly build your boy’s knowledge about periods.

Start with:

• A period is when blood comes out of a girl’s vagina
• Girls get their period when they start puberty. It means they are growing up
• Girls wear pads or tampons to stop the blood getting on their clothes
• Periods are a normal part of growing up but some people might not want to talk about them in public.
• It’s important not to make fun of people’s period

Then add things like:

• A period means that a woman can become pregnant
• A tiny egg comes out of the ovary and travels to the uterus each month
• During this time the lining inside the uterus thickens with blood
• If a woman does not get pregnant that month, the egg and the lining of the uterus comes out as blood through the vagina
• A period can last for 3-7 days
• When the period finishes, the cycle starts again
• Sometimes periods can be uncomfortable. The person might feel pain in their tummy

Finally:

• Girls usually have their period once a month until they start menopause. Menopause usually happens when around the age of 50