Discussions among Indiana women about reproductive health — from menstruation to menopause — are often limited or nonexistent. A bill in Congress supported by more than 30 female lawmakers aims to change how workplaces approach those phases of life.

The Reproductive Healthcare Leave Act would require 12 days of paid leave per year for physical or mental health effects linked to menstruation, abortion, menopause, perimenopause and miscarriage. Fertility treatments and hysterectomies also would be covered under the bill and men could take leave for vasectomies.

The bill has drawn some opposition, mostly from conservative and religious organizations.

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Dr. Magdalena Lewandowska, a hematologist at Indiana Hematology in Indianapolis, said conversations about puberty should include young people of all genders as bodies change from adolescence to adulthood.

“There is still a very significant amount of, I would say, gender bias, and people have a lot of difficulty,” Lewandowska observed. “There's a lot of stigma surrounding menstruation but not just menstruation itself. I think there's also a lot of misunderstanding of what is considered to be normal.”

Lewandowska stressed she wants to demystify changes in the body, especially when women and girls feel something is not right. She supports open discussions with trusted adults about puberty and menstruation.

“We have a lot of work to do in educating both people out in the community, as well as healthcare professionals, with what we should expect a normal period to actually be and when it may be a good idea to actually seek help,” Lewandowska asserted.

Lewandowska added there is no specific age of readiness to have “the talk” because it depends on a young person’s maturity and willingness to engage in the conversation. She emphasized clear dialogue can help dispel misinformation and myths commonly found on social media.