Puberty Education in India: Why Are Boys Still Left Out in 2024?
In the year 2000, when I was in Grade 6, I studied at a non-Coed Indian school in Saudi Arabia. I still remember the day we had a special, girls-only session on puberty. Over the span of 2 weeks, once a week, our school doctor led us through an extensive education about periods & the basics of puberty education. We were taught that menstruation was a sign of womanhood, a special opportunity every month for the body to prepare for pregnancy. The mechanics of menstruation & ovulation were explained in detail, emphasizing how each woman sheds an egg in preparation for fertilization, even though no mention of sexual intercourse was ever made.
It wasn’t a sex education class, but it painted menstruation as an empowering biological process, almost as if we had been bestowed with a gift of procreation. We were told how “lucky” we were as girls to experience this, while the boys in the boys’ section of the school didn’t receive any orientation at all.
We were subtly told that boys, often deemed ‘careless,’ wouldn’t have been able to manage the pain, cramps, or emotional toll of periods, implying they could never handle what we went through. But fast forward to 2024, and to my disappointment, not much has changed.
My Daughter’s Experience in 2024: Déjà Vu
Last week, my daughter experienced something eerily familiar to my childhood. In her 6th-grade class, the girls were taken into a separate seminar room, just like we were back in 2000. A medical professional explained the process of menstruation—but this time, they didn’t even mention fertilization. The conversation had been reduced to a simple biology lesson on how periods work. Fertility, pregnancy, and the connection to reproduction weren’t discussed at all.
Meanwhile, the boys? Once again, they were sent off to enjoy an extra PE period.
As the seminar progressed, some girls whispered to the group my daughter was in, saying, “Shee! This is such a bad topic. Why are they talking about it. Eww!” This reaction reveals how deeply the stigma around menstruation has penetrated, even among young girls. Even today!
The boys were left in the dark, their curiosity heightened as they wondered what mysterious lessons the girls were being taught. Was it a movie? Something secretive? Even after the session, the girls hushed up, refusing to reveal what they’d learned, leaving the boys to guess & gossip among themselves in their WhatsApp study groups. This secrecy only fuels confusion and, often, disrespect towards women & ignorance towards women’s health.
Why Are Boys Being Left Out?
This begs the question: Do boys not go through puberty too? Is male puberty only about facial hair, deepening voices, and growth spurts? Why do we continue to exclude boys from understanding basic concepts like erections, nightfall, and their own emotional fluctuations during adolescence?
When my daughter came home from school, the boys were still left in the dark. She mentioned how they whispered among themselves, trying to guess what the girls were made to ‘watch’ in the seminar. The girls, too, made it seem like a secret girls-only club.
A Missed Opportunity: Educating Boys About Nightfall, Erections, & Emotional Well-being
Let’s talk about the things boys aren’t being taught. While girls are taught about menstruation and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with puberty, boys are left in the dark about their own changes. No one talks to them about erections, nocturnal emissions (nightfall), or the mix of feelings they experience during adolescence. They’re left to figure it out alone, often turning to unreliable sources like peers or the internet, largely, pornography.
One of the most damaging myths boys encounter is the obsession with penis size. Without proper education, many boys grow up believing that their worth is tied to their physical attributes. This myth feeds into a toxic culture where men feel pressured to dominate, often compensating for insecurities rooted in ignorance.
Inclusive puberty education can change this. By addressing these issues openly, we can help boys understand that their bodies, emotions, and experiences are normal. They’ll be better equipped to navigate their own challenges, and in turn, they’ll be more likely to respect and empathize with the experiences of girls.
The Impact of Ignorance: How We’re Failing Our Boys
By segregating puberty education, we are doing a disservice to both boys & girls. Boys are growing up with very little understanding of the changes happening in their own bodies, while girls are left to carry the burden of secrecy. This silence only reinforces the stigma around periods and makes natural processes like nightfall or erections appear embarrassing or shameful for boys.
More importantly, how can we ever foster mutual respect between genders if one group is left ignorant about the other’s experience? By excluding boys from these critical conversations, we not only perpetuate ignorance but also contribute to harmful stereotypes & attitudes.
Puberty Affects All, So Should Education
Yesterday was Daughters’ Day, and it made me reflect on how far we’ve come—or rather, how far we haven’t come. We talk about empowering our daughters, celebrating their strength & resilience, but in the same breath, we continue to sideline our sons when it comes to vital life lessons. Boys are left in the dark, unprepared for their own puberty, let alone understanding the female experience.
How can we truly empower our daughters if we don’t educate our sons? How can we expect boys to grow into respectful, empathetic men if we deny them the knowledge they need?
If you believe that inclusive puberty education can reshape how we treat one another, start the conversation today. Share this post, talk to your children openly, and demand change in schools—because ignorance fuels stigma, but education builds respect.
Let’s create a future where no topic is “eww”—only understood, embraced, & celebrated. The revolution starts here. Will you be part of it? If you’re from India, I want to hear what your experience as an adolescent school kid was. And if you’ve got kids in the same age bracket, tell me if it’s changed for them. Also, if you’re my reader from another part of the world, I’d love to know how you want to share your experience.
Leave a Reply