Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Periods: TikTok gives better education than schools, say teens

Periods: TikTok gives better education than schools, say teens

"I've got most of my information about periods from TikTok," said 18-year-old Efa Angharad.

The sixth-former from Gorslas, Carmarthenshire, said her period education had been "pretty shocking".

It comes as a Swansea University study found menstrual cycle education needed to be addressed in schools.

The Welsh government said period education would become mandatory as part of a new curriculum. The other UK nations said they have taken action.

Efa said she remembers having a puberty lesson in the final year of primary school and, at the end, the boys were sent out.

"You just get told 'oh, by the way at some point you're going to be bleeding for three-eight days once a month'," she said.


Lili Mai
Lili Mai: "There was no deeper explanation, we weren't talking about pain or cramps"


"There was no education about why, or symptoms before or after or hormone changes."

She said she and her friends educated themselves online more than they learned in the classroom.

"I just don't feel like the education system has changed at all since when my mam was younger," she added.

Lili Mai, 17, said her class was not really given information about why they had periods.

"There was no deeper explanation, we weren't talking about pain or cramps, anything that comes with it. I had to figure that out as I went along," she said.

Ffion: "We weren't educated on tampons, menstrual cups... it was just the basics"


Ffion, 17, from Ammanford, said she doesn't remember much about the lesson, other than a stranger coming into class.

"We weren't educated on tampons, menstrual cups... it was just the basics that led to problems years on when I started my periods. It's just really sad," she added.

It's a story Natalie Brown is familiar with.

She works with elite female athletes looking at the impact of their periods and their cycle on performance.

It was their lack of knowledge that led her to question what was being taught in schools.

"What we very much find is actually there is minimal education in school," she added.

The academic led the report by Swansea University, funded by Sport Wales, looking at menstrual cycle education in the UK.

The sport scientist said more than 90% of teachers that responded to the survey were female and often they drew on their own personal experiences.

Natalie Brown works with elite female athletes looking at the impact of their menstrual cycles on performance


The report recommended giving teachers more time, training and support to deliver classes regularly as well as providing more information on the emotional and social aspects of the menstrual cycle.

'We need to support girls more'


It also found that teachers felt periods affected attendance, participation in exercise, as well as behaviour and confidence.

"To me that shows it is an area that we need to support girls more on because it can have an effect on school performance, exam results... these kind of longer-term health and wellbeing benefits," she added.

Kathryn King runs the Bloody Honest social media account which she said aims to fill the gaps in period education.

She said the responses she gets to her videos highlight the desperate need for information.

"One of the most common questions I get is 'where's my vagina and how many holes do I have?'

"It's baffling to me that there's such a gap in the knowledge of young people and it's just filled by friends or family if they're lucky... and, if not, strangers on the internet," she said.

Kathryn King: "There's such a gap in the knowledge of young people and it's just filled by friends or family if they're lucky"


The 26 year old has no medical training but felt the urge to educate others about periods after learning about her own in her early 20s.

"The more you know, the sooner you can recognise any abnormalities for you... and the sooner you can speak to a doctor and have that checked and potentially that is life changing," she said.

How is period education taught?


The Welsh government said, within the new curriculum framework, teachers will be able to focus on a wide range of health and wellbeing topics.

"It is important that learning about menstrual wellbeing is not simply a 'one-off lesson' which is why the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Code sets out that it should be taught at various stages of the curriculum," it added.

The Scottish government said learning about periods and menstruation started in primary schools and was an important part of health and wellbeing education.

"Local authorities and schools can use a wide range of resources to deliver age and stage appropriate lessons," it said.

In Northern Ireland, the government said period education was provided to both primary and post-primary schools.

"Pupils have the opportunity to learn about scientific facts and engage in open conversation," it said.

"This can help to break down common taboos about periods, prevent stigma and reduce negative perceptions and behaviours."

The UK government said pupils in England should learn about periods, including its impact on physical and mental health, as a mandatory part of the curriculum.

"We have invested millions in rolling out the curriculum and are supporting teachers with training and guidance, so that they can gain the knowledge to teach it confidently and foster open conversations with their students," it said.


Teenage girls have been turning to the internet to learn about periods


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×