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How period stigma affects teens
Expert Q&A with Dr. Charis Chambers
A recent poll conducted by PERIOD found that while access to free period products in public spaces and schools has improved since 2023, more teens report feeling personally affected by negative attitudes around menstruation. Nearly 6 in 10 teens (59%) say stigma around periods affects them—an increase of 14 percentage points since 2023. This suggests that while period education is becoming more common in classrooms, supportive conversations are still missing from other parts of teens’ daily lives.
The report also found that:
93% of teens have had negative experiences in sports or extracurricular activities due to menstrual cycle symptoms
3 in 5 girls worry about leaking or spotting when playing sports during their period
73% of teens feel pressure to “tough it out” rather than speak up about period pain
Around 1 in 5 teens feel unsupported by coaches or experience judgment while on their period
In this Q&A, Dr. Charis Chambers, Clue’s Chief Medical Officer, explains why the stigma persists, how periods affect teens, and simple ways parents and caregivers can support their children.
1. What does recent research reveal about period stigma and how to reduce it among teens?
Recent research shows that dismantling period stigma requires a multifaceted approach across multiple settings. Providing access to free period products in schools and in public spaces is important, but it’s not enough. We must continue to work with coaches, teachers, parents, employers, and policymakers. address the stigma. But it’s not enough to just have conversations about periods. Real change comes from intentional actions and policies that support teens in every part of their lives.
2. Why do teens still experience period stigma even with free period products available?
Free period products improve access, but they don’t address the deeper causes of period stigma. Stigma is rooted in long-standing cultural beliefs, silence, and shame around menstruation—and those attitudes affect anyone who has, or will have, a period.
Even when products are available, many teens still feel embarrassed to talk about periods, ask for help, or manage symptoms openly. That’s because stigma is reinforced through social norms, education gaps, and the way menstruation is discussed (or avoided) at home, in schools, and in media—often across generations.
Dismantling stigma requires acknowledgment, discussion, and intentional action in all these areas. It also needs a cross-generational approach. I personally believe parents are the perfect change-agents for the issue of period stigma. And there is still much work to be done to create a world where periods are understood, supported, and stigma-free.
3. Why is period stigma especially common in sports and athletics?
Period stigma is common in sports because these areas are often highly competitive, physically strenuous, and mentally taxing. Periods and period-related experiences, like fatigue, irritability, cramps, mood swings, and headaches, aren’t generally helpful or advantageous for most athletes. So periods can end up feeling like a disadvantage in these settings.
Educating coaches, athletic trainers, and parents on how to better support athletes during their periods is key. With the right guidance, athletes can manage periods in a way that supports both performance and overall health and wellbeing.
4. Why may teens of color experience more period stigma?
Teens of color may experience more period stigma because shame tends to be concentrated in communities and spaces with less access to conventional power and resources. Unfortunately, teens of color tend to be more likely to experience social stressors like discrimination, bullying, hypersexualization, and adultification. This can intensify feelings of shame and embarrassment around periods.
Period poverty can add to these challenges; the cumulative effect is a more pronounced sense of shame, stigma, and embarrassment around menstruation. This manifests in cultural taboos and misconceptions that can affect everything from period products to period symptom management.
In my experience, I’ve found that teens of color may be more open to having period conversations than some of the older generations around them. They want the education, options, and guidance, while their parents or community may not quite be there yet.
5. What are common period symptoms?
Common period symptoms can vary from person to person. Understanding these symptoms can help teens and parents recognize what’s typical and when to seek support.
Common symptoms include:
Cramps
Headaches
Fatigue
Irritability
Nausea
Diarrhea
Back pain
6. What are the signs that period pain could indicate a more serious condition, such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?
Signs that period pain could indicate a more serious condition include any of the following:
Pain that doesn’t respond to over-the-counter pain medicines
Pain that suddenly worsens and causes nausea or vomiting
Pain that prevents you from doing your daily activities
Pain that prevents you from attending school or work
7. How can parents or caregivers tell if period pain signals a bigger problem?
If parents or caregivers are worried about their teen’s period pain, the first step is to provide comfort and support. I also suggest tracking the pain and associated symptoms in an app, like Clue, which can help create a clear record of experiences over time. This information can then be shared with a qualified healthcare provider who is familiar with period pain management in adolescents.
For severe and sudden pain, emergency medical evaluation is needed.
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8. What are the top three ways parents can support their teens during their periods—especially at school and in extracurricular activities like sports—and why do you recommend each approach?
Here are my top tips on how parents can support their teens during their period:
Start conversations early
When it comes to periods—and puberty more broadly—many parents take a reactive approach, waiting to talk about what’s happening until it happens. While this may feel easier, it often backfires. Nearly half of menstruators don’t know what’s happening when they get their first period, and a lack of preparation is linked to higher stress, lower confidence, and increased shame.
Starting conversations about puberty and periods earlier can help reframe them as normal and manageable, rather than confusing or inconvenient. Early, age-appropriate conversations also support open communication, making it easier for children to ask questions and get support when they need it.
Check your baggage
Many parents carry their own period and puberty pains, struggles, and traumas. For those who have periods, some have struggled with debilitating pain, isolating mood changes, or terrible bleeding patterns. For those who don’t menstruate, they may have learned negative behaviors toward people with periods or never learned how to provide healthy support to someone on their period. When they see that their child may be about to start their period, they may worry about, and even project, their own experiences onto their child. I’ve seen moms with endometriosis demand that their daughters tough it out through the pain. And I’ve seen dads essentially abandon their daughters at the time of pubertal onset, unsure or unable to show up for them like they need them to.
As parents, it is our duty to manage our past experiences in a way that allows us to show up for our children at every stage of their lives. Before your child reaches puberty, do the work to heal negative past experiences and unlearn harmful beliefs and practices. It's not easy, but it’s worth the effort to avoid passing down generational wounds and harm.
Find credible resources
There’s a lot of information out there, and even more misinformation. Modern-day parents must be especially savvy when selecting resources for period learning and education. While you work to educate your child on periods and prepare them to manage their changing body, the information and guidance you share must be accurate and appropriate. Resources such as qualified healthcare providers, trusted websites, and reliable books are good to learn the basics around period flow, normal and abnormal pain, appropriate hygiene practices, and even appropriate pain relief options.
You don’t have to be an expert in anatomy, periods, or health, but you do need to know how to identify the experts and follow expert advice.
Key takeaways
Supporting teens through periods goes beyond school conversations—it requires a proactive, cross-generational approach. By understanding the impact of stigma and providing consistent support, parents and caregivers can help teens navigate their periods with confidence and resilience.
