1 in 4 girls start their periods before learning about it in school

Globally sex education is not taught thoroughly in schools and a study in the UK shows that education about puberty is seriously lacking.

The Sex Education Forum did a survey of over 2000 people aged 11-25 which found that 30% did not learn what they needed to know about puberty in school.

They found that nearly a quarter of girls start their periods before the subject is covered in school.  Almost 15% of young people said they were taught nothing at school about menstruation.

And for boys, 38% experienced wet dreams before having learnt about them.  Over 50% go through school without wet dreams being mentioned.  In junior school my son asked about wet dreams and was told ‘this will be covered next year’.

The Sex Education Forum have published The Puberty Issue, a resource for teachers. The resource shows how teachers can help prepare pupils for puberty by treating the topic as an ongoing conversation, instead of a ‘big talk’.

The Puberty Issue covers:

• The factors that may be contributing to a current increase in early onset puberty in girls.
• How the adolescent brain develops during puberty.
• Using art to express the emotional aspect of puberty
• How a child in every class could start menstruating before leaving primary school, and the practical steps schools can take to support them.

Lucy Emmerson, Coordinator of the Sex Education Forum said:

‘A question at the heart of many children’s feelings about puberty is ‘am I normal?’ and too often this goes unanswered at school and home. Leaving education about puberty too late can cause unnecessary fear and confusion, and is a failure to prepare children for adult life. With spring around the corner, we hope that schools will take the opportunity to talk to children about how things are growing and changing in the world around them, and how puberty is a natural part of life.’

Sex education, including puberty, should be given by parents and school.  Global women have written a guide for parents about sex education.  If parents are not able to talk to their children about these issues, children will find it difficult to go to their parents if they have any problems or concerns.