It's an important monthly cycle for half the world's population, yet even in 2017 many people aren’t comfortable talking about it.
This hour, why is menstruation so taboo, even though it’s a basic part of human biology?
How does the fact that we don’t talk about periods in “polite conversation” affect the lives of women and girls here in the U.S. and around the world?
We’ll have a gynecologist take us back to the basics and we’ll hear from the author of “Periods Gone Public” about why our politicians should be thinking about periods, too.
GUESTS:
- Dr. Amy Johnson - Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Hartford Hospital
- Joan Chrisler - Professor of Psychology at Connecticut College, editor of the journal Women’s Reproductive Health, and former president of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research
- Marni Sommers - Associate Professor of Socio-medical Sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, and co-host with UNICEF of the annual Menstrual Hygiene Management in Schools Virtual Conference
- Jennifer Weiss-Wolf - Vice President for the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School and author of Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity.
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
Resources for talking with kids about puberty and menstruation:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/default.aspx
