Preteens at the Robert Crown Branch of Evanston Public Library’s Period Party celebrated an often taboo topic: menstruation.
The Wednesday event, hosted in collaboration with Evanston Township High School’s Health Center, sought to raise awareness for menstrual health through candid learning and conversations.
“Our goal was to destigmatize periods and speaking about periods,” said Robert Crown Branch library assistant Katrina Moravec. “It’s a normal thing for a body to go through, and we wanted to make sure that preteens felt like they could ask us questions and felt like they knew what was going on with their bodies.”
Right away, establishing a safe space was emphasized. Any personal experiences discussed by the attendees would not be shared beyond the party. These efforts helped break through the reservations Moravec noticed that “always happens with preteens.”
Event organizers gave a presentation and asked a series of true-or-false questions covering topics ranging from managing period pain to how long tampons should be kept in for.
“We wanted to talk about this as an aspect of our personal health and how we can live quality lives with our periods,” said Annie Bendik, a nurse practitioner at ETHS’ student health center.
The room of six attendees ranged from fifth to eighth grade, so the detailed menstrual health primer came at a time when many were waiting for or learning to manage their own periods.
Bendick said an array of pads, tampons, menstrual cups and menstrual underwear were also displayed at the event so that “if and when” the preteens needed the products, they would already be familiar.
While the event sought to normalize periods, fellow nurse Rena Stoler said attendees were also taught to recognize abnormal period symptoms.
“It’s being in touch with your body,” Stoler said. “It was a way for us to say, ‘If you’re in a lot, a lot of pain, that’s not normal.’”
An important aspect of the event, Moravec said, was simply connecting preteens with informed adults who they’re comfortable sharing their experiences with.
“We care for not only the high schoolers, but we also see preteen and children from the (District) 65 schools,” Bendik said. “We wanted to really outreach and support them. And then also let them know that as they matriculate through middle school, and even high school, know that we’re a place that they can come see.”
Moravec laid out a curated collection of books discussing periods, reproductive health, puberty, self-empowerment and gender with a similar goal in mind. While she said the preteens may not feel comfortable asking adults any lingering questions after the party, she hopes they may turn to the selected books to “seek out proper information.”
Emphasizing the Period Party’s popular Just Dance finale, Moravec added, “I think that we accomplished both learning and having fun.”
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