Menstruation
Cambodian Facts:
Learning About Health:
Oftentimes, girls receive little information from their mothers about women's health and menstruation. It is important to educate girls and let them know that changes in their body is a normal act of life. At first. these changes might seem scary to girls. Providing information about the female body and how to handle these occurrences can help calm this fear. Menstruation should never be a distraction from attending school or a reason why a girl might drop out.
- 17% of women have an unmet need for family planning
- Women who have secondary/higher education have an average of 2.4 children while women with no schooling have an average of 3.7
Learning About Health:
Oftentimes, girls receive little information from their mothers about women's health and menstruation. It is important to educate girls and let them know that changes in their body is a normal act of life. At first. these changes might seem scary to girls. Providing information about the female body and how to handle these occurrences can help calm this fear. Menstruation should never be a distraction from attending school or a reason why a girl might drop out.
Information
What to Expect:
Changes in the body for girls is very normal and will occur during their high school years.
Important first signs of changes: breast development, hair growth, clear or yellow colored discharge
Having your first period tells you that your body has changed, and you are becoming a woman who will be able to have a baby, if and when you want to. The period (the days that you lose blood through the vagina) is part of a 'cycle' of hormone and body changes.
Make sure that the area around the vagina is kept clean. If using rags, make sure that they are washed in clean water and soap often. Using dirty rags can lead to infection.
Women's Resource Center in Siem Rep Holds Women's Health Workshops:
Covering topics such as anatomy of a women's body, hygiene, contraception, family planning, safe motherhood, pregnancy and safe abortion, women and girls learn basic, yet essential information about their bodies.A lack of reproductive health and general health knowledge in Cambodia leads to detrimental situations that can easily be prevented with the right education.
Changes in the body for girls is very normal and will occur during their high school years.
Important first signs of changes: breast development, hair growth, clear or yellow colored discharge
Having your first period tells you that your body has changed, and you are becoming a woman who will be able to have a baby, if and when you want to. The period (the days that you lose blood through the vagina) is part of a 'cycle' of hormone and body changes.
- During each cycle, the lining of the inside of your uterus (womb) gets thicker, so that if the egg (ovum), which is released from your ovary each cycle, is fertilized by a sperm, the uterus is ready to provide a place for the baby to grow.
- A period is when the lining separates from the rest of the uterus because it is not needed for this egg to grow. The old lining is 'lost' and the uterus gets ready to make a new lining for the next egg.
- The 'loss' is mostly blood, which can be bright red, dark red or dark brown, and sometimes has some clots (dark lumps of blood) in it.
- How long a period lasts and the time between periods varies for different women.
Make sure that the area around the vagina is kept clean. If using rags, make sure that they are washed in clean water and soap often. Using dirty rags can lead to infection.
Women's Resource Center in Siem Rep Holds Women's Health Workshops:
Covering topics such as anatomy of a women's body, hygiene, contraception, family planning, safe motherhood, pregnancy and safe abortion, women and girls learn basic, yet essential information about their bodies.A lack of reproductive health and general health knowledge in Cambodia leads to detrimental situations that can easily be prevented with the right education.
Resources
Women's Resource Center
Cambodia Resources:
East Asia and Pacific Regional UNGEI c/o UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office 19 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand Tel: (66-2) 356 9417 Fax: (66-2) 280 3536
Care International: House No. 06, Street No. 446, Sangkat Toul Tom Poung Khan Chamkarmon Phnom Penn Tel: 023 215 267/8/9
Online Resources:
Statistics taken from: CDHS 2005, 2010
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=243&np=292&id=2216
UNICEF Girls Education: http://www.ungei.org/
Let Girls Learn Campaign: https://www.whitehouse.gov/letgirlslearn
East Asia and Pacific Regional UNGEI c/o UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office 19 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailand Tel: (66-2) 356 9417 Fax: (66-2) 280 3536
Care International: House No. 06, Street No. 446, Sangkat Toul Tom Poung Khan Chamkarmon Phnom Penn Tel: 023 215 267/8/9
Online Resources:
Statistics taken from: CDHS 2005, 2010
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=243&np=292&id=2216
UNICEF Girls Education: http://www.ungei.org/
Let Girls Learn Campaign: https://www.whitehouse.gov/letgirlslearn