--- title: Do girls feel more prepared and positive about menstruation if they talk with their mother about it? description: Yes. Girls who discussed the emotional side of menstruation with their mothers were much more likely to feel prepared. Feeling prepared was linked to having m url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/mexican-adolescents-experience-of-menarche-and-attitudes-toward-menstruation-2012/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do girls feel more prepared and positive about menstruation if they talk with their mother about it? Survey study, 2012 # Do girls feel more prepared and positive about menstruation if they talk with their mother about it? Yes. Girls who discussed the emotional side of menstruation with their mothers were much more likely to feel prepared. Feeling prepared was linked to having more positive attitudes about menstruation. Moderate study design 405 Mexican girls aged 12-15 ## What they did 405 Mexican girls aged 12-15 who had already started their period answered a survey with three sections: general information, what they had discussed with their mothers before menarche, and their attitudes toward menstruation. ## What they found Only 39% felt prepared for their first period, even though most knew the practical facts. Girls who discussed emotional aspects with their mothers were much more likely to feel prepared. Feeling prepared was linked to holding more positive attitudes about menstruation. ## What it means for you Talking about feelings and emotions around menstruation, not just the biological facts, helps girls feel ready and develop a more positive relationship with their period. Limitation: survey only in Mexico, self-reported information, one time point. 405 Girls surveyed 39% Felt prepared for their first period ## About the study Original title Mexican adolescents' experience of menarche and attitudes toward menstruation: role of communication between mothers and daughters Authors Marván ML, Molina-Abolnik M Journal Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology Year 2012 Study design Survey study Participants 405 Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2012.05.003](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2012.05.003) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Study, 2026 What coping strategies help women manage PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2025 What psychological and personal factors predict which university students will develop premenstrual syndrome? Survey study, 2024 How much do Indonesian 9th graders know about PMS and what are their attitudes? Survey study, 2024 What attitudes do women have about menstruation and what affects these attitudes? Randomised trial, 2024 Can group counseling focused on positive psychology reduce PMS symptoms? Non-randomised trial, 2021 Does teaching girls about PMS improve their knowledge? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗