The Menstrual Cycle is one of the most natural of all human processes and is experienced by half of the population of the world. At any given time, 800 million women, youth, and men worldwide are menstruating. The Menstrual Cycle occurs roughly once a month for roughly 35 to 40 years in a lifetime. That ends up being almost 3000 days, or about 8 years of menses. Many menstruators experience “period shaming” and other forms of socialized stigma around the Menstrual Experience. It is therefore important to become familiar with this experience and provide care to patients that takes into account their Menstrual Experience.

This two-day remote continuing education course is designed for clinicians who want to obtain an advanced knowledge and skills to educate patients on non-hormonal, non-surgical, and non-prescription interventions for improving the Menstrual Experience. Developed by Nicholas Gaffga, MD, MPH, FAAFP and presented together with Amy Meehan, PT, DPT, MTC, this course is geared towards the pelvic rehab provider looking to impart Menstrual Interventions that:

1) Put control in the hands of people who menstruate to identify and carry out the interventions that are appropriate to them,

2) Use a holistic approach and advanced knowledge and familiarity with body and mind

3) Emphasize healthy practices that can positively impact the Menstrual Experience and beyond, in areas such as mental health and chronic diseases

4) Discover root causes of issues, rather than quick fixes, to have benefits that are sustainable across the lifespan.

This course consists of four pre-recorded didactic sessions followed by two half-days of live interactive sessions which are designed to serve as a “Menstrual Forum.” Topics covered in the prerecords include a review of common Menstrual Symptoms and lifetime milestones of menstruation, the anatomic structures and hormonal signaling involved in the Menstrual Cycle, as well as an introduction to the concepts of Period Positivity and Period Negativity, and Menstrual Mindfulness. The two live remote days consist of four hours each of interactive sessions and didactic content.

The course includes more than 20 original resource documents and visuals, including: Commonly reported Menstrual Symptoms, Positive Aspects of the Menstrual Experience, Menstrual Interventions, Cultural Menstrual Milestones, Menstrual Voices, Blueprints for a ‘Go Bag’ and a ‘Period Palace’, Catalytic Menstrual Glossary, and Menstrual Inspiration for the Fridge.

This course also includes five original documents for participants to fill out to better understand and improve the Menstrual Experience: My current Menstrual Experience, My Ideal Menstrual Experience, My Repository of Positive Memories, My Collaborative Agreement with Partners and Close Friends, and My Individualized Combination Menstrual Action Plan (ICMAP).

To incorporate mindfulness into the live sessions,we will have an intentional rest at each hour

Audience:

Pelvic Health Physical Therapists or other health professionals at any level of their career. It is not a prerequisite to have a regular Menstrual Cycle or a Menstrual Cycle at all in order to attend and participate in this course.

Prerequisites:

- Basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the Menstrual Cycle
- Willingness to engage and re-conceptualize challenging aspects of the Menstrual Experience
- All pre-recorded lectures in Teachable for this course must be watched before the Live Component of the course. See the Schedule tab for the current list of pre-recorded videos
- It is not a prerequisite to have a regular Menstrual Cycle or a Menstrual Cycle at all in order to attend and participate in this course