The Duchess of Edinburgh Addressing The Stigma Around Menstruation Health

The Duchess of Edinburgh spoke candidly about her menstruation health when visiting a school in East Dulwich, London, on Wednesday.

Sophie, 59, attended a myth-busting course at Harris Girls Academy as part of her ongoing efforts to reduce the stigma associated with menstruation health difficulties.

while asked what comes to mind while talking about periods, the Duchess replied, “When you get heavy periods and are concerned about standing up from a chair. “That is the worst one.”

Sophie, who underwent emergency surgery in 2001 after having an ectopic pregnancy, spoke to the girls about period products and how tampon size is tied to flow rather than body form.

She said: “If you were shopping and your pals were buying micro and ordinary tampons, would you feel self-conscious saying, ‘I need the big guns’? It isn’t because you’re thinking, ‘Oh, I must be extremely huge down there’.”

She emphasized that period objects should be on show at home rather than hidden away in a cabinet, saying, “Let’s get them out of the closet.”

Sophie, the mother of Lady Louise Windsor, 20, and James, Earl of Wessex, commended three guys who attended the session with the group of 15 to 18 girls.

She told them they were “extremely brave” for accepting to discuss their periods, adding, “I believe bringing males into the discourse is really essential. I’ve visited numerous places throughout the world, and other countries appear to be more progressive.”

Tanya Simon-Hall, owner of Adeno Gang, which conducts menstruation health seminars in schools and universities, stated, “The Duchess said, ‘Even I learned something new.'” They all took away something from the session that will help them enlighten others.

Dame Lesley, the government’s ambassador for the Women’s Health Strategy and head of Wellbeing of Women, stated that girls should be taught about menstruation from an early age.

“Ten is currently the usual age at which girls begin menstruating, so they should be aware of it early. Not a lot of specifics, but something to get across in a nice way,” she remarked.

She also stated that she wanted all medical professionals to inquire about female patients’ periods, even if they were presenting with seemingly unrelated problems.

She added: “The Duchess was extremely helpful on our menopause campaign two years ago, and now with our Just a Period campaign, we intend to make it something that everyone speaks about – at the dinner table, the breakfast table, even at the fuel station. The Duchess proved that she is quite open and responsive, and she also has a daughter.

In 2021, the Duchess received praise for openly discussing her menopausal experience, stating: “You suddenly can’t recall what on earth you were talking about. Try being on an engagement when this happens. Your words simply go. And you’re standing there like, ‘Hang on, I thought I was a relatively clever person’. “What just happened to me?”

She went on to say: “It’s like someone has just gone and taken your brain out for however long before they pop it back in again, and you try and pick up the pieces and carry on.”

Journey of self discovery