As a teenager I always knew I could ask my mum about anything; periods, sex, health. Although it would have been nice to have a sister to discuss feminine issues with if I'm honest (two brothers weren't all that good at the chat), mum knows best as they say, and was of course the best place to start. Being open and honest, and approachable at any time, is what I hope will keep the conversation going between me and my girls.
As parents I think we would all like our children to be confident and well educated in many subjects, and intimate health is something that affects us all but which is for some reason not often spoken about still. That seems a little crazy though - why should it be a taboo subject? Of course there's a time and a place (I'm not suggesting the dinner table!) but there's really no need to keep quiet about issues which affect many of us.
Back when I was young we didn't have access to the internet of course (wow, how old do I feel?!), but these days it can be an extremely helpful tool in many respects - Canesten® have got some great information on their website. I plan to show my girls the pages about thrush, cystitis and bacterial vaginosis so we can talk about them together - I'm guessing they are still not the sort of things which are taught in school, although I'm not sure why not. It's 'just' about bodies and science really, if you think about it.
This week there has been a whole thread on Mumsnet about vaginas, and another about vulvas... another good place to learn. Knowing that others go through the same problems could make them seem less frightening if our young daughters experience them.
It should go without saying that it's just as important for our autistic girl to understand about intimate health as it is for our neurotypical daughter; we may have to approach the subject in a slightly different manner, and we definitely need to appreciate that processing time may be longer, but it's still vital to get the message across. School became unmanageable for her just at the time they were about to begin sex and relationship education lessons, so I will definitely be picking up on this preparation for puberty and researching what will be the best way to present the information to her.
'What I wish I knew about intimate health when I was younger'
Now Canesten® are asking people to join in with the conversations by answering the question above. One lucky person who comments on this blog post with an answer to the question will win a £50 Amazon voucher as a thank you for taking part in the conversation.
Use comments box right at the bottom of this blog post to leave your answer; ends 5th August so enter now!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Terms and Conditions:
1. There is 1 prize of one £50 Amazon voucher. The prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative is offered
2. Open to UK residents aged 18 and over, excluding employees and relatives of Stephs Two Girls and Bayer plc
3. Closing date for entries is 12:00am on 5th August 2017
4. Entrants must leave a comment on this post
5. The winner will be chosen at random from all valid entries
6. The winner will be informed within 14 days of the closing date and will need to respond with a postal address within 28 days or a new winner will be chosen
7. The winner’s name will be available on request
8. The prize will be sent within 28 days of receiving the winner’s address
9. This is a joint promotion between Steph's Two Girls and Canesten®
10. Entry to this confirms that participants have read, understood and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions
This post has been supported by Canesten® but all thoughts are my own.
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