The debate comes after Fleabag, a comedy-drama, showed a woman having a miscarriage in a restaurant bathroom only for her to go back to the table as if nothing happened.
Sex education has come a long way from when we were in school but has it come far enough?
Scotland certainly doesn’t think it has and a number of women are now calling for miscarriage to be included in sex ed classes.
The debate comes after Fleabag, a comedy-drama, showed a woman having a miscarriage in a restaurant bathroom only for her to go back to the table as if nothing happened.
Many said the scene was not realistic, mainly due to how the character Claire reacted so pragmatically, returning to the table and drinking a glass of wine.
I miscarried on shift and kept working because I didn’t know what to do and went on autopilot. It didn’t hit me until I called my mum after work. There’s a big veil of silence around miscarrying despite how commonplace it is and I’m glad #Fleabag tackled it with such honesty. https://t.co/TiiTK7LviQ— Madeleine Dunne (@kohlgrrl) March 6, 2019
And this is why women and charities in Scotland are calling for it to be included in sex education classes, in order to remove the stigma which surrounds it.
The 'Fleabag' episode with a miscarriage in a restaurant toilet clearly rings true for many. Scotland's Sunday Herald features 3 women who describe their experience and we join the voices seeking the inclusion of miscarriage in the school curriculum. https://t.co/FN1sIzkeXh.— Miscarriage Association (@MiscarriageA) March 11, 2019
In conversation with The Hearld’s Hannah Rodger, Ruth Bender-Atik, national director at Miscarriage Association, said that miscarriage is a way of life and that we need to talk about what happens “when pregnancies go wrong”.
And she is absolutely right.
In Ireland, around 14,000 women experience a miscarriage every year - that's around 15 percent of pregnancies.
It is an incredibly difficult time for the whole family, sometimes made worse by the fact that people don’t feel comfortable talking about it.
Our Director Ruth spoke to @HuffPostUK about what it can be like for women who miscarry in public after the latest ep of @fleabag https://t.co/Ayckf9KmuB If you're in a similar position and need support, call our helpline 01924200795 or visit our website https://t.co/vfZduq577H— Miscarriage Association (@MiscarriageA) March 6, 2019
Many of us will remember being told not to reveal pregnancy news until after the 12-week mark in case anything happened.
But, surely, if anything were to happen, that is the time when you would need your family and friends around you the most?
Talking to kids about miscarriage – a part of life that they may have already been exposed to through family and friends – helps stop this stigma of not talking about pregnancy loss.
A stigma that forces many people to stay quiet and grieve alone.
And, yes, in order to bring more awareness around the topic, it is important we start the conversation early - in school.
This way children not only grow up knowing that it does exist, that it is a part of life, they will also know that it is OK to talk about it.
What are your thoughts? Would you like to see it being talked about in schools here?
