Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Lowe and I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Today's lesson forms part of our Our changing bodies unit.

Now because of some of the themes and topics covered in today's lesson, it's important that while you complete your learning, you're accompanied by an adult.

So by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe what menstrual products are available and be able to evaluate their sustainability.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that in RSHE we should listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

And when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion, but we never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob is reminding us that in RSHE there is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged.

Now here are our key words for today's lesson.

Let's go through the definitions together.

So our first key word is menstrual flow.

This is used to describe how much blood and tissue is being shed during a period, described as either lighter or heavier.

Disposable menstrual products, these are products that are designed for single use.

Reusable menstrual products, products that are designed to be cleaned and used again.

External menstrual products, these are products worn outside the vagina.

Internal menstrual products, these are products worn inside the vagina.

So here is our lesson outline for today.

And the first thing we are going to be asking is what disposable menstrual products are available? So menstruation is sometimes referred to as a period.

There are other names that people use to describe menstruation, but that's just personal preference.

And this is different for all females.

Menstruation usually occurs every 28 days and can last anywhere between two and seven days.

But this again, is different for all females.

Now, on average menstruation starts around 12 years old, but this is just an average because it can start earlier and it can start later than this.

Menstrual flow is how much blood and tissue is shed during menstruation, and this again will vary from female to female.

Now let's check our understanding about what we've just learned.

So true or false? Menstrual flow is how much blood and tissue is shed during menstruation.

I'd like you to pause the video now and have a think about your answers and then we'll join back together in a moment and go through them.

Well done if you said true, that is excellent.

Menstrual flow is the phrase that we use to describe how much blood and tissue is shed during menstruation.

And menstrual flow will be different for all females.

For some it will be heavier.

For some it will be lighter.

Now it can seem like a lot of blood is lost during menstruation, but it's only actually around four to eight tablespoons that is lost per cycle.

Menstrual flow tends to be heavier for the first three days of menstruation.

Menstrual products are either disposable or reusable.

On the left-hand side, there we can see an image of some disposable sanitary towels and tampons.

When we say it's disposable, it means that it's single use and it's intended to be thrown away after.

If it's reusable, it's something that, after cleaning, can be used again and again.

So reusable menstrual products are designed to be cleaned and used again.

Here at the bottom we can see an image of a menstrual cup.

Now if you are not sure about what that is, a menstrual cup is something that is placed inside the vagina and instead of absorbing menstrual flow, it catches it.

The cup is then removed and it's cleaned for it to be used again in the future.

Next to that, we can see an image of some reusable sanitary towels and just like disposable sanitary towels, these are intended to absorb menstrual flow.

The only difference is that these are not intended to be thrown away.

These can be cleaned after use and reused again in the future.

Disposable menstrual products are designed for single use, using them again could cause infection.

So let's check our understanding there about disposable and reusable menstrual products.

Disposable menstrual products are designed to be cleaned and used again.

I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about your answers and then we'll go through them together.

Well done if you said false, but how do we know that this is false? Well, disposable menstrual products are designed for single use only.

The clue is in the name, disposable means to throw something away.

Using them more than once could cause infection, whereas reusable menstrual products can be cleaned and used again.

And we saw some examples of some reusable menstrual products with the menstrual cup and the reusable sanitary towels.

Sanitary towels or pads are a common example of a disposable menstrual product.

So they're worn externally and they're made of an absorbent material.

The way that they are applied is they are stuck to the inside of the underwear and they're worn externally to the vagina.

As you can see on the image on the left, there is a picture of some sanitary towels or pads, some of which have sticky wings.

Not all sanitary pads have sticky wings, but some do just to make sure that they are secured in place.

Sanitary towels are available in different thicknesses, and this is to suit the variation in menstrual flow.

Now, disposable sanitary towels should be changed every four to eight hours.

But of course this change is depending on a person's menstrual flow.

If a person is experiencing a heavier menstrual flow, they may feel that they need to change their sanitary towel more often.

They should be disposed of properly in a bin.

Many public toilets have sanitary bins specifically for this, but sanitary towels should never be flushed.

The reason is is that the material that they are made out of is super absorbent and they expand.

If we were to flush them, they would cause blockages.

So to be safe, it's important that they are disposed of properly.

Let's check our understanding here about menstrual products.

Sanitary towels should be changed every, A, four to eight hours, B, 14 to 18 hours, or C, 18 to 24 hours.

You're going to pause the video here and have a think about which of those answers is correct and then we'll join back together and go through the answer.

Excellent work, everyone.

Well done, if you said A.

Yes, sanitary towels should be changed every four to eight hours.

Tampons are another example of a disposable menstrual product.

They are cotton tubes which are worn internally inside the vagina.

They're available just like sanitary pads in different sizes which are there to suit various menstrual flow.

So a tampon is inserted into the vagina.

And as you can see from the image on the left, that at the end of the little cotton tube there is a string and this string is intended to hang outside of the body so it is easier to pull the tampon back out.

Some tampons might have an applicator to insert it, which is a little plastic casing around it, which helps to insert the tampon into the vagina.

Whereas others are pushed in using fingers.

They should be changed every four to eight hours depending on menstrual flow.

And just like sanitary towels or pads, this will depend on how heavy a person's menstrual flow is.

If there is a particularly heavy menstrual flow, they may feel that they need to change their tampon more often.

It is very important not to leave a tampon inside the vagina for more than eight hours.

If a tampon is kept in for too long, bacteria can start to grow, which can make you ill.

Once removed, just like a sanitary towel, a tampon should be disposed of in a bin and never flushed.

Let's check our understanding once more.

True or false? Tampons are an example of an internal menstrual product.

You're going to pause the video now and have a think about your answer.

Well done if you said true.

Tampons are an example of an internal menstrual product along with reusable menstrual cups, whereas external menstrual products are things like sanitary towels.

Now we're going to put our learning into practise.

Your task here is to sort the facts about disposable menstrual products into the table.

As you can see, the table has two columns, one that is for sanitary towels and the other that is for tampons.

You're going to read those facts at the bottom and sort them into the correct column.

Pause the video here while you go through your answers and then we'll have a look at what you could have said in a moment.

Well done for giving that a go.

So you were asked to sort facts about disposable menstrual products into the table and your answers should have looked like this.

So for sanitary towels, we know that these are external menstrual products.

They come in different thicknesses for menstrual flow and some have wings to stick to underwear.

Whereas tampons, we know that they are an internal menstrual product.

They come in different sizes for menstrual flow and they have a string that allows it to be pulled out of the vagina.

Excellent work if you managed to sort all those facts into the correct columns.

Moving on now to the second learning cycle in our lesson, and we are going to be answering the question, what reusable menstrual products are available? There are many reusable menstrual products available.

Laura is explaining them to us here.

She says these are products designed to be cleaned and used again.

Izzy is telling us that they reduce plastic waste from disposable menstrual products.

As we mentioned before, tampons can sometimes come with a little plastic applicator.

And choosing to use reusable menstrual products will avoid this plastic waste being produced.

And Jacob says that it's better for the environment and could actually save you money too.

So how do the costs of disposable and reusable menstrual products compare? Well, Laura is saying here that she pays three pound each month for a pack of 22 disposable sanitary towels.

So single use sanitary towels.

Izzy is saying that over a year you pay 36 pounds and over 10 years, that's 360 pounds in total.

Now Izzy here is saying that she bought a pack of three reusable period pants and this cost her 15 pounds.

She says that if she looks after them properly, they should last for several years.

Laura is saying that reusable products do cost more initially, but actually in the long run you end up saving money because you're not buying new period products every month and instead using the same one again and again.

So over time it actually saves people money.

So let's check our understanding here about reusable menstrual products.

True or false? Reusable menstrual products are better for the environment.

You're going to pause the video here and have a think about your answers.

Well done if you said true.

So reusable sanitary towels are external menstrual products.

And we saw this picture earlier in the lesson as an example of a reusable sanitary towel.

They're worn in this exact same way that a disposable sanitary towel is and they're made from cloth instead of plastic.

So this means that they reduce plastic waste.

Reusable sanitary towels have an absorbent fabric and this soaks up the menstrual flow.

They should be changed every four to eight hours, exactly the same as disposable sanitary towels.

But this of course, again, depends on menstrual flow.

If a flow is heavier, they may need to be changed more often.

They can be washed however and worn again and again.

So unlike disposable sanitary towels that are single use and then disposed of, these can be washed and used again.

So Izzy has a question.

What are the two main differences between a disposable and a reusable sanitary towel? I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about how you would answer Izzy's question.

Excellent work.

So you might have said that reusable sanitary towels are made of cloth instead of plastic.

You may also have said that reusable sanitary towels can be washed and used again.

So menstrual cups and these are often or sometimes referred to as period cups.

And they are internal menstrual products which are worn inside the vagina.

They're small cups usually made from a soft, flexible silicone which can be washed once removed.

Silicone is a very durable material and if you look after it properly, the cup can actually last you up to five years.

Once inside the vagina, menstrual cups create a seal and they collect the menstrual flow instead of absorbing it.

They should be emptied and cleaned around every four to eight hours.

But as we've said previously, this is completely dependent on menstrual flow 'cause it may need to be changed and cleaned more often.

So let's check our understanding here.

True or false? Menstrual cups are external menstrual products.

Again, I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about your answer before we go through it together.

Well done if you said false, but how do we know that this is false? Well, menstrual cups are actually internal menstrual products because they're worn inside the vagina and they collect menstrual flow.

Another internal menstrual product is something called a menstrual disc.

And these are worn inside the vagina.

And again, like menstrual cups, they're usually made of a soft and flexible silicone.

They sit behind the pubic bone, instead of creating a seal like a menstrual cup.

They collect menstrual flow instead of absorbing it.

Menstrual discs should be emptied and cleaned around every four to eight hours.

Menstrual discs can be available as a disposable menstrual product and as a reusable menstrual product.

So let's check our understanding here about menstrual discs.

So menstrual discs work by increasing menstrual flow, absorbing menstrual flow or collecting menstrual flow.

I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about your answer before we go through the correct one together.

Well done if you said C.

So menstrual discs work by collecting menstrual flow.

Another form of reusable menstrual product is a pair of period pants or period underwear.

And these again are an example of an external menstrual product.

These look just like normal underwear, however, they have an absorbent layer of fabric and this acts just like a sanitary pad to trap and absorb menstrual flow.

So period underwear should be changed every four to eight hours and as we've said before, this may be different depending on a person's menstrual flow, they may need to be changed more often.

They can be washed and reused repeatedly.

Let's check our understanding here.

So period underwear contains a layer of fabric which is repellent, absorbent or waterproof.

I'd like you to pause the video here and have a think about your answers before we go through the correct one.

Excellent work if you said absorbent.

We saw on the previous slide that period underwear has an absorbent layer in it that acts just like a sanitary towel and it absorbs menstrual flow.

Now we're going to put our learning into practise and Laura has some questions about reusable menstrual products.

She asks, "What is the difference between period pants and a menstrual cup?" I'd like you to answer Laura's question by providing her with two differences between period pants and a menstrual cup.

I'd like you to pause the video now and have a think about those differences and we'll go through the answers together in just a moment.

So Laura had some questions about reusable menstrual products and you might have answered her question by saying that period pants are external menstrual products because they're worn outside the body, whereas menstrual cups are internal menstrual products because they are worn inside the vagina.

You may also have said that period pants absorb menstrual flow whereas menstrual cups actually collect menstrual flow.

So well done if you mentioned any of those things in your answers.

Moving on now to the final learning cycle in today's lesson and we are asking the question, what else might we need to know? So finding the right menstrual product is a personal choice.

Menstrual products should feel physically comfortable to use.

If we use them correctly, they shouldn't cause any pain or discomfort.

A person should also feel mentally comfortable with their choice of menstrual product.

They should be able to choose the best product to suit their needs without judgement.

Let's check our understanding here.

So a person must wear the same menstrual product as their friends and family.

Is that true or false? Pause the video here while you have a think about your answers.

Well done if you said false.

And of course this is false because finding the right menstrual product is a completely personal choice.

Although friends and family may offer advice, it's important to choose what suits your individual needs.

It has to make you feel physically comfortable and mentally comfortable.

Menstrual products should suit a person's changing menstrual flow.

For example, a menstrual cup might suit the heavy menstrual flow of the first few days of a period, whereas a sanitary towel might better suit lighter menstrual flow during the last few days of a period.

Menstrual products should also suit a person's lifestyle and activity.

For example, sanitary towels must not be worn when swimming.

Internal menstrual products or period swimwear similar to period pants can be worn in water instead.

Now let's test our understanding here about what we've just learned.

Sanitary towels can be worn when swimming.

Is this true or false? Pause the video here while you have a think about your answers.

Well done if you said false.

And this is false because sanitary towels cannot be worn while swimming.

You have to wear an internal menstrual product such as tampons or menstrual cups or menstrual discs.

However, if you do not want to wear internal menstrual products, you can wear period swimwear instead.

So disposable menstrual products contain high levels of plastic.

If these products are flushed down a toilet, they can block sewer pipes.

We said before how sanitary towels are made up of super absorbent material and when in water they expand.

And this causes blockages in sewer pipes.

They can end up in the sea and they can wash up on beaches.

It is essential that disposable menstrual products are disposed of correctly.

We said that in public spaces there are dedicated sanitary bins.

The product must be wrapped in toilet paper or packaging and put in a bin.

Public toilets will often have sanitary bins specifically for these products.

So now we are going to put our learning into practise.

As you can see here, there are some blanks missing in this paragraph.

I'd like you to use the word bank at the bottom to fill in the gaps.

So you're going to pause the video here and have a go at putting your learning into practise.

Excellent work.

Let's go through those answers together.

So your answers should include, finding the right menstrual product is a personal choice.

The product should suit a person's menstrual flow and feel comfortable.

It should also suit a person's lifestyle and activity.

And a big well done if you got all of those correct.

Now in summary, our managing menstruation lesson, we looked at menstrual flow and we said that around four to eight tablespoons of blood is lost per cycle and it tends to be heavier at the beginning of a period.

We said that sanitary towels and tampons are disposable menstrual products and they are single use.

Reusable menstrual products on the other hand, can save money in the long term and they're better for the environment due to reduced plastic waste.

Reusable pads, menstrual discs, menstrual cups, and period pants are all examples of reusable menstrual products.

And finally, we saw that menstrual products are purely a personal choice and it depends on a person's comfort level and menstrual flow as to what period product they use.

They should also suit a person's lifestyle and activity.

Now, if any of the topics covered in today's lesson affect you or you would like to seek further guidance and support, here are two places that you can go to to access this.

The NHS website, which provides advice about health and prevention, including how to access services and Childline, a website and phone line, which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

Now, to end this lesson, I would like to say a big well done for completing your learning.

It's been wonderful to teach you and I hope to see you in another RSHE lesson again soon.