Dads getting involved
CONTRARY to popular belief, menstruation is no longer the exclusive domain of women. While men may not be directly concerned, a growing number of dads are showing interest in talking about the subject with their daughter(s), especially when they are raising them alone.
But it’s not always an easy discussion to have when they themselves don’t feel adequately informed, and feel a certain amount of discomfort when entering the heart of the subject.
These are the findings of a recent study conducted in several countries around the world.
When it comes to getting one’s period for the first time, who should a girl speak to? In answer to this question, some immediately mention mothers, who are logically the most informed and involved. But that doesn’t take into account the continual evolution of family structures, with divorces and separations becoming extremely commonplace during the last decades, coupled with the lifting of taboos around the subject of menstruation.
As a result, fathers are also getting involved and are asking to be better educated so that they too can discuss the issue with their offspring.
A survey conducted by Intimina among single fathers reveals a real need to fill in some of the gaps on the subject, and to feel more comfortable with the bodily and hormonal changes affecting their adolescent daughters. The survey was conducted in July 2022 among 1,258 fathers of daughters ages 10-15 living in the Britain, the United States, France, Italy and Spain.
Persistent stereotypes
Conducted in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Italy and Spain, the study shows that eight out of ten fathers believe that menstruation is a ‘women’s issue,’ and that it is therefore up to mothers to handle conversations about it with their daughters.
The clichés persist despite the fact that many taboos around the subject have been lifted. More than four out of ten respondents (44%) still believe that it is a conversation that should be held with both parents.
A quarter of them think that it is up to the family doctor to provide this information, 19% think that it is up to a teacher, and 13% think that it is up to the girls themselves to get all the necessary advice.
Nearly three quarters of fathers surveyed (72%) believe that it is normal to learn about menstruation, and 70% claim to know enough about the menstrual cycle to be able to discuss the subject with their daughters if necessary.
A good thing, in this case, even if some of them would like to be more informed on the matter, if only to be a little more comfortable.
A genuine need for information
Of the fathers who are uncomfortable talking about menstruation with their offspring (14%), 53% find it awkward, compared to 39% who feel it’s a sensitive topic, and 34% who are simply afraid they won’t be able to answer their daughter’s questions. One-fifth (21%) say they don’t feel able to.
When looking for information, fathers look primarily to other women in the family, especially in the US (64%) and the UK (61%), for help, compared to 34% who look to educational content, 31% to friends, and 27% to educational books.in any case, more than half of the respondents (58%) say they want to know more about the subject.
An observation which shows that, in spite of the persistence of certain clichés, attitudes seem to be changing slowly but surely. Further proof of this is that fathers are now volunteering to buy menstrual protection for their daughters, whether it be sanitary pads (60%), tampons (30%), or menstrual panties (22%).
A finding that tends to show that they are not so badly informed on the subject.