Tips for Talking With Your Daughter About Periods and Uterine Fibroids

Girls should know what to expect when puberty hits, and if possible, they should feel confident in the relationship they have with their parents to ensure they feel comfortable sharing personal information and have intimate and private conversations. A young girl is likely to have a ton of questions regarding her period, including lots of inquiries about pads, tampons, and panty liners. There is a lot of helpful information online that can make teaching how to insert a tampon quite simple.

What Happens During Puberty for a Girl?

During puberty, the body will go through many changes, with most girls starting their periods between nine and 16 years of age. It's during this time that the ovaries begin to release eggs, and as a result of this, a girl’s body will build up a thick layer of tissue in the uterus. Unless a sperm fertilizes the egg, the thick tissue is not needed and will then turn into a blood-like fluid and flow out of the vagina.

Talking About Health Concerns, Especially Fibroids

Many young girls have no idea what signs to watch for in regards to health concerns and puberty. When talking about periods this is a good time to educate your daughter on uterine fibroids. Early knowledge and awareness can lower the risk of medical problems later in life. A large number of girls with uterine fibroids don't show any symptoms, but there are some who experience pain with their period along with heavy and prolonged bleeding. This is why you should encourage your daughter to inform you of any pain and heavy bleeding when she's on her period. Uterine fibroids don't normally lead to fatal outcomes, but they can cause an immense amount of pain and sometimes require surgery to have them removed. The sooner these fibroids are diagnosed, the sooner they can be treated.

It may not be a topic you want to discuss over dinner, but periods and fibroids are definitely subjects you and your daughter need to discuss.

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