“Hello Periods!” is an educational video and trainer’s aid to teach young girls about menstruation and menstrual health. This is a supportive video for Menstrupedia Comic, whose content has been medically verified by a gynecologist and is based on extensive research done by Menstrupedia with over 12000 girls. So far over 75 schools across India are using these resources to teach and learn about menstruation in the most fun and easy way.
The content of this video has been divided into five small segments. At the end of each segment you will see a screen like this.
Each of these screens have been inserted as an indication to the trainer to pause the video and ensure that the kids have understood what has just been covered in the video.
So whenever you come across such screens, please pause and make sure that the kids in the workshop know the answers to the questions corresponding to that screen. Questions and answers for each of the screens are mentioned below.
SCREEN BLUE at 3 min 17 sec
Q1: What changes do we see in the body while growing up?
Ans: Height and weight increases, breasts begin to develop, hips widen and hair begins to appear in the underarms and around the genitals.
Q2: What is vaginal discharge? Is it normal?
Ans:Vaginal discharge is whitish or clear secretions from the vagina. It is normal.
Q3: How many openings are there between our legs? What is the purpose of each opening?
Ans:There are three openings between our legs. Urethra, from where the urine comes out, vagina, from where the baby comes out during child birth and anus, from where the feces come out.
SCREEN GREEN at 5 min 13 sec
Q1: What do we need iron for?
Ans: Iron is necessary for carrying oxygen in the blood. Deficiency of iron causes Anemia in which case you feel very weak even after taking rest.
Q2: What are the sources of iron?
Ans: Peas, spinach, potato with skin, dal, nuts and dry fruits and fish.
Q3: Why is it better to have iron rich food with food rich in vitamin C?
Ans: Having iron rich food with food rich in Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron in the body.
SCREEN RED at 8 min 20 sec
Q1: What are periods? Is it normal?
Ans: Periods is a process in which blood comes out of the vagina for 3-7 days. It is normal.
Q2: Why does blood come out of vagina during periods?
Ans: In the absence of a baby, the uterus sheds its inner lining of blood and soft tissue, which we see as blood coming out of the vagina.
Q3: When do periods start and stop?
Ans: Periods generally start between the ages of 10 to 15 years and stop between the ages of 45 to 55 years.
4. SCREEN VIOLET at 12 min 03 sec
Q1: Can you find out when will you get your next period? How?
Ans: Yes. Periods generally occur after regular intervals which can be known by tracking periods on a calendar. This interval is known as length of menstrual cycle. By knowing the date of last period and the length of menstrual cycle, we can find out the date of next period.
Q2: Why do some girls feel pain in their lower abdomen during periods? How to reduce pain?
Ans: The uterus contracts to squeeze out the menstrual fluid. That’s why some girls feel pain in their lower abdomen. The pain can be reduced by applying a warm heating pad to the lower abdomen and getting the body into child pose (Balasana), butterfly pose (Titliasana) and cobra pose (Bhujangasana) and holding the pose for five deep breaths.
Q3: What is menopause?
Ans: Between the ages of 45 and 55 years, periods stop. This is known as menopause.
5. SCREEN ORANGE at 17 min 57 sec
Q1: What is a sanitary pad and how to use it?
Ans: Sanitary pad is a thin pad of absorbent material that is used to absorb the blood coming out during periods. Sanitary pad is worn in the underwear such that it exactly covers the opening of the vagina.
Q2: How to dispose a sanitary pad? Can sanitary pad be flushed down the toilet?
Ans: Used sanitary pad must be wrapped in a waste paper and put in a garbage bin. Thereafter the lid of the garbage bin must be closed. Sanitary pad should never be flushed down a toilet.
Q3: What to do if you get periods in school?
Ans: We should tell a teacher or school nurse about it and ask her for a pad. We can also borrow a pad from a friend.
Q4: What hygiene measures should be taken during periods?
Ans: We should take a shower at least once a day. We should wear clean undergarments and change them regularly. Pads should be changed regularly and hands should be washed clean before and after changing pads. Genital area should be kept clean and dry.
Credits:- Production: Gayatri Nair Translation: Yashasvini Rajasekar, Nirmal Rajagopalan Voices: Saranya Manoharan , Sai Sreya and Shama Afra
Q1: What are periods? Is it normal?Ans: Periods is a process in which blood comes out of the vagina for 3-7 days. It is normal.Q2: Why does blood come out of vagina during periods?Ans: In the absence of a baby, the uterus sheds its inner lining of blood and soft tissue, which we see as blood coming out of the vagina.Q3: When do periods start and stop?Ans: Periods generally start between the ages of 10 to 15 years and stop between the ages of 45 to 55 years.
