Lauren Cook, nurse practitioner at Virginia Physicians for Women, helped Sylvia’s Sisters explain everything teens and pre-teens would want to know about menstrual cycles and how to manage them.
Last spring, Sylvia’s Sisters approached VPFW about helping write some educational content for a pamphlet about periods. The idea was to share these pamphlets with the local schools where the non-profit organization provides period supplies for students in need. Sylvia’s Sisters not only wanted young menstruators to have access to quality period supplies but also to information that could help them better understand and manage their monthly cycles.
“Let’s Talk Periods” Learning Portal
VPFW’s Lauren Cook, an OB/GYN nurse practitioner, jumped on board to help write content explaining what periods are, how they affect our bodies and our emotions, and why period hygiene matters. The content was too extensive to be contained only within a physical pamphlet, so the period learning portal ”Let’s Talk About Periods” was born.
“Let’s Talk About Periods” details information about periods, hormones, and menstrual hygiene such as:
- What periods are and why are they happening
- The phases of the menstrual cycle
- What to expect in terms of physical and emotional changes
- How to alleviate cramping and symptoms of PMS
- How to track your period (and why you might want to)
- The different types of period products and how often they should be changed
- Period hygiene (such as how, where, and when to wash and what products to use or avoid)
- Vaginal infections such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, and toxic shock syndrome
Frequently Asked Questions About Periods
Lauren also helped answer several frequently asked questions about periods. Many are questions she often receives from young patients, and others were submitted by followers of Sylvia’s Sisters. They include:
- Can I bathe or swim during my period?
- Can a tampon get lost inside of me?
- Can you pee while wearing a tampon?
- Can you get pregnant while on your period?
- What’s the strange odor?
- What color should period blood be?
- Why don’t I have a “regular” period?
- + more
Removing the Stigma and Improving Menstrual Health
Getting a period is a natural, healthy part of growing up for half the world’s population. VPFW applauds Sylvia’s Sisters for the important work they do to improve period health in the greater Richmond area and abroad, and they’re grateful for the opportunity to help – both through their annual period supplies drive and in writing accurate and easy-to-understand educational content for “Let’s Talk Periods.”
VPFW’s hope is to get young menstruators talking and learning about what their bodies go through each month so that they can practice good period hygiene, understand when they may need to seek medical help, and not be embarrassed to ask for a tampon or pad when they need it. We encourage you to share “Let’s Talk Periods” with your teen or pre-teen to help answer any questions they may feel uncomfortable asking. Together we can remove the unfortunate stigma surrounding periods and improve the menstrual health of our youth!
Visit Sylvia’s Sisters’ learning portal, Let’s Talk Periods to learn more!
About Lauren Cook, NP
Lauren Cook is an OB/GYN nurse practitioner at Virginia Physicians for Women. She sees patients at VPFW’s Koger Center and Prince George offices and is passionate about patient education.
