Biel will publish a book on periods to de-stigmatise the topic of menstruation. — Picture via Instagram/ jessicabiel
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By Sylvia Looi
Friday, 08 Mar 2024 1:21 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — American actress Jessica Biel will be publishing a book on menstruation to de-stigmatise the topic for young readers.
The Sinner star said A Kids Book About Periods will be published by A Kids Co in May and is a new addition to Penguin Random House subsidiary DK’s A Kids Book About series. People reported.
Speaking to the portal, Biel, who is married to singer Justin Timberlake, said people do not talk enough about the matter.
“I’ve always felt strongly that we need to normalise the discussion around periods and as a parent, writing this book felt like an organic way to engage kids in the conversation from early on,” she said.
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The book intends to teach children and encourage conversation about the normalcy of menstruation, as well as the changes that come with growing up in general.
The book is created in partnership with Period, a nonprofit organisation that strives to end “period poverty and stigma” through education and advocacy.
Five per cent of the proceeds from each book sold will go to the organisation.
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This is not the first time Biel has talked about menstruation.
In a March 5 Instagram video, the actress looked back on the moment she had her first period, before she was set to perform in a school play.
“I was so scared,” she recalled, adding that she locked herself in the bathroom.
“I was crying hysterically, I called my mum. I told her, you know, ‘something’s wrong.’ That’s what I felt, I felt like something was wrong with me. Even though she had prepared me, I wasn’t prepared,” she added, noting that she managed to do everything she needed to do that day and still have her period.
The mother of two boys, Silas, eight, and Phineas, three, hoped the book will help children to feel a sense of authority over their bodies.