My Daughter Started her Period: Too Delicate a Topic in the UAE?

03 May 2018

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A concerned mother once visited our website

And shared with us some information regarding her daughter. The mother explained that her 13 year old daughter’s period (also known as menstruation) had suddenly stopped and she was concerned. Another parent complained that her daughter was being teased at school for having her period and was told she had a contagious disease. We have encountered similar questions and scenarios from parents who are rightfully concerned about their daughter’s well-being during their transition from adolescence to womanhood. Living in the UAE with parents of numerous nationalities, cultures and norms, it is quite natural for some parents to underestimate the importance of discussing certain topics with their daughters. This is especially true when it comes to puberty and topics of similar nature. It is important to remember that for many young girls, going through puberty is a period of uncertainty, anxiety and embarrassment. Therefore, having the right information is important to a girl who is developing both physically and emotionally throughtout her adolescent years and well into her adult life.

There is no exact age for when menstruation begins

As every girl experiences hormonal shifts based on a variety of different reasons. According to Dr. Lubna Ahmad, she follows a standard protocol: “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that girls first see a gynecologist when they're between the ages of 13 and 15. Most girls will not need a pelvic exam during this first visit.” As soon as your daughter experiences her period, she should be briefed on exactly what to expect and provided with moral support from her family. Dr. Leila Soudah explains: “Parents should inform their child that puberty is normal, nothing to worry about, a beautiful aspect of growing up, means you are healthy, with nothing to be ashamed of.” Dr. Jayacy C Jayankar further adds that a proactive approach also helps: ”The mother should let the child know early about bodily changes that is going to happen so the child enters her teenage years feeling less anxious.”

Dr. Amelie Hofmann-Werther who is already aware that the onset of puberty differs widely in age, knows that young girls will experience a variety of issues such as: “Bad hair days, skin problems, feeling heavy, retaining of water in the tissue, rumbling stomach, bloated tummy and not being able to fit into her favorite jeans!” All of which are tell-tale signs that your daughter may have already started her menstruation.

Now that your daughter has experienced her first period, what next?

Other than acknowledging the issues associated with menstruation, Dr. Leila asserts that establishing the right hygienic behavior with regards to your period is very important: “A gynecologist will also recommend the best hygiene practices which is extremely important.” She also believes schools should be more involved in providing awareness programs for young girls who are experiencing periods.

In addition to understanding and tackling menstruation, it is also important for young women to adopt necessary habits for a healthy lifestyle. Other than adopting hygienic practices during menstruation mentioned by Dr. Leila, she also believes obesity due to bad eating habits and non-active lifestyles are contributing factors to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), one of the most common hormonal disorder among women who reach the age of reproduction. According to a study by Conceive, a gynecology and fertility hospital in Sharjah, links PCOS with weight and lifestyle-related diabetes. Dr. Pankaj Shrivastav, director of Conceive, says: “It is a well-established fact that we have a much higher percentage of PCOS in the UAE… we now know PCOS is very closely connected to diabetes, and both the Gulf and South Asia suffer from diabetes of almost epidemic proportions. The fact is, if a girl has diabetes in the family she has a pretty high chance of developing PCOS.” Establishing healthy balanced eating habits and regular exercise is necessary to avoid developing and reversing PCOS.

Parents must balance their time to play a role as important as gynecologists

In preparing, engaging and educating their daughters as they transition from pre-adolescence to adulthood. Dr. Lubna believes: “Reliance on social media and unvetted access to information online can lead to depression among young developing women.” Dr. Amelie further adds: “Optimization of your resources should include nutrition education, stress-relief and detox, physical fitness for more range of motion and flexibility as a holistic approach for hormone balancing. Make lifestyle changes and adopt a healthy diet…Get education and help in nutrition and incorporate regular exercise into your daily regime”. To conclude: “A check-up visit with the gynecologist should ideally be a combination of consultation, medical history taking and tests individually required.”

Special thanks to our contributing gynecologists:

Dr. Lubna Ahmad is a Canadian Specialist Obstetrics and Gynecology, who obtained a Diploma from Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ireland (DRCOG).

(4.7)

263 reviews

Dr. Lubna Ahmad

Specialist Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Fakeeh University Hospital, Dubai Silicon Oasis

Dr. Amelie Hofmann-Werther is a German Board Certified Specialist Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fetal Medicine Sonographer, Psychosomatics & Verbal Intervention Counselor and Colposcopist.

(4.9)

125 reviews

Dr. Amelie Hofmann-Werther

Specialist Obstetrics & Gynecology, Psychosomatics & Verbal Intervention Counselor, Cervical Dysplasia Colposcopist
Novomed Surgical Hospital

Dr. Leila Soudah is a German Board Certified Specialist Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fellowship in Functional Regenerative Nutritional Medicine (USA) and CEO and Founder of Dr. Leila Soudah Clinic in UAE since 1998.

(5.0)

64 reviews

Dr. Leila Soudah

Specialist Obs/Gynecologist
Dr. Leila Soudah Clinic

Dr. Jayacy C Jayankar is Specialist Obstetrics and Gynecology, holds certifications from France and Germany in advanced endoscopy and laparoscopy respectively.