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Ease your child into womanhood

The time of transition from girl to young woman can be a confusing and scary time in a girl’s life. As a parent it is extremely important to be there for your daughter as she goes through this new stage, and to equip her with the knowledge that puberty and menstruation need not be feared, but rather embraced as a rite of passage to adulthood.

Many teenagers are faced with pms (premenstrual syndrome) and tampon myths that worsen those first time fears. Alleviate your child’s anxiety by equipping yourself with the correct information. Helpful points to remember are:

  • You can go swimming with a tampon.
  • Tampons are comfortable when inserted correctly.
  • It is perfectly safe for virgins to use tampons as the hymen is an elastic piece of skin at the entrance to the vagina that is intact in women who have never had intercourse, but still accommodates the use of a tampon.
  • Periods do not last exactly a week as every girl is an individual. Rather they will last anywhere between 3-8 days.
  • Tampons cannot get lost inside of you as there is nowhere for a tampon to go. The opening of the womb is too small to let a tampon through.

Self-confidence in young women is important and this is even more vital when their bodies are going through these changes. As a girl starts her periods, she needs to feel comfortable that she can talk to her parents about any confusion or fears she may have. As parents, creating talking points when shopping for tampons is an excellent way to ease your child into womanhood.

There are also many informative websites out there that will help you answer some difficult questions that may arise when talking to your daughter. Loveava.co.za (http://www.loveava.co.za) is one such website, where you'll find the truth behind period and tampon myths to help you through this new stage in your child’s life.

(Issued on behalf of AVA SECRETS by Kirsty Snodgrass of Foxy Pink)

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