It's Just a Phase: Menstrual Cycles 101

Learn more about menstrual cycles in this class geared toward 10-14 year olds and their parents or guardians.

In this practical, age-appropriate introduction to periods and the menstrual cycle for girls ages 10-14, we will discuss:

How the body works \+ why it works that way

Reading your body’s clues

What’s normal \(and what isn’t\)

Period product options

General period care

This class is geared toward girls aged 10-14. Guardians and parents can be present for the presentation and a Q&A, then we'll have an additional Q&A without guardians present.  The goal is simple: replace embarrassment and confusion with the confidence to know their cycles and know themselves better. Guardians will not be in the room during the additional Q&A, allowing girls to ask the questions they may feel too embarrassed to ask with a guardian present. The class is intentionally focused on menstrual health and physiology and does not cover sex education, contraception, or sexually transmitted infections.

Please note: The price of this workshop is per family unit, not per person.

About the teacher:

Catherine Needham, PharmD, FAAMM, ABAAHP is a Chattanooga-native and clinical pharmacist specializing in women’s hormone replacement therapy and fertility. She earned her PharmD at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. While there, she had the privilege of educating patients in several group settings, serving as the school-appointed tutor, and leading a large student organization. Her research focus was STI management at the Jefferson County Department of Health, and she was selected for the Clinical Communication Award. Prior to opening her own practice, she was a clinical pharmacist for a large compounding pharmacy, where she educated patients through community health events and through one-on-one consultations. In 2021, she spoke at TEDxChattanooga about cultural perceptions of women’s health, and in 2024 she completed her fellowship and board certification in Anti-Aging and Metabolic Medicine.

When she is not reading about PCOS or perimenopause, she and her husband are wrangling their 4 kids and 3 dogs.