Image caption, A growing number of women say they now understand their bodies better than previous generations did ByJasmine Ketibuah-FoleyWest of England Published 2 minutes ago Terms such as "cycle syncing" and "going luteal" have become part of everyday vocabulary for many young women.
From periods and hormones to PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome) and fertility, a growing number say they now understand their bodies better than previous generations did.
But while campaigners welcome greater awareness, questions remain about misinformation and health anxiety.
We spoke to women, parents and experts about the changing conversation around menstrual health.
More from Bristol 'People don't expect disabled people to have sex' Published 9 minutes ago In pictures: Eclipse, elephants and wedding cow Published 12 minutes ago Man, 90, with Parkinson's walks 90 miles for charity Published 14 hours ago Image source, Iqra Wasim Image caption, Wasim has struggled with PMOS symptoms such as painful acne since the age of 11 Iqra Wasim from Fishponds in Bristol has struggled with PMOS symptoms such as painful acne since the age of 11.
PMOS affects about one in eight women.
It is a major cause of female infertility and symptoms can include irregular periods, excessive hair growth and weight gain.
Wasim, who learned more about it through asking doctors questions and social media, said she now educates her mum, who also has PMOS, on ways to manage symptoms.
"My mum was going through heavy bleeding with her PMOS and didn't know what birth control was," she said.
"I told her about it and she thought I was talking about being sexually active, but I explained there's so much more to the medicine - that showed the main knowledge gap between us.
"My mum's generation did have knowledge, but it only stayed between women, families or doctors and now someone can talk about their period and PMOS online and millions of women can relate to it.
"Our generation is more willing to ask whether something is normal.
"But I don't think that social media is a replacement for a medical professional," Wasim added.
Caroline Herman founded 'All Yours Period Box, external' with her daughter, which operates in Wiltshire and donates boxes with period products to foodbanks.
She said there is still "a huge amount of work to be done" to improve menstrual health education.
"We have a generational gap in the country," she said.
"We have generations like mine where we weren't taught anything to do with our periods and then there's our parents - there was this layer of silence that we've had to fight our way through." Image source, Caroline Herman Image caption, Caroline said barriers remained when it came to talking openly about menstrual health online Herman said she had to educate herself after suffering from a stroke believed to have been caused by a hormonal imbalance.
She celebrated the increase in information that is now available to people on social media, but warned it should "come with a caution".
"Is it high-quality, unbiased?
Is some of it getting caught up in influencer culture where it's not medically backed?
"But I think the more we talk about menstrual health as a society can only be a good thing.
We have to keep pace with our young people with what they're learning," she added.
However, she said barriers remained when it came to talking openly about menstrual health online.
"Meta and other platforms are censoring out medically correct terms as being offensive," she said.
"It's in the RSE curriculum - we should be using correct anatomical terms like vagina, vulva, clitoris." 'Kids are really open to talking' Many women say social media introduced them to concepts such as cycle syncing and the different phases of the menstrual cycle.
Wellness influencer, external Beth Lauren from the Cotswolds, who is also the mum of two boys, said it is important to start conversations with children when they are young to "avoid creating a taboo in the first place".
"Kids are really open to [talking about] stuff.
It's not inherently scary until we make it scary," she said.
"Having boys, it's really important they have menstruation education as well, and I will be trying to teach them as much about it as I would a daughter." Image source, Philippa Sian Photography Image caption, Lauren said she had not heard of the phase menstrual cycle until she had children Lauren went on to explain the phases of the menstrual cycle was not something she knew about until after having children.
"My mum was quite open, but again, it wasn't something that we discussed in depth.
"I don't actually think it was something that she knew loads about, and I don't think she would now either.
"I do know that the majority of my knowledge now as a 30-year-old woman has come from social media.
"[But] I can consume all of that content with nuance, and with a bit of self-responsibility," she added.
From cycle syncing to body literacy Maisie Hill, author of bestselling books Period Power and Perimenopause Power, said talking about periods is "less taboo than it used to be" with many parents in their 30s and 40s sharing new information with their children.
"The conversation has opened up a lot; it's not just about how to manage having a period, but understanding how your body works and how to support it," she said.
"Sex education has improved, but it's still not enough.
Some parents think that their 9-year-old is too young to be hearing about periods and fertility, without realising that some 9 year olds have already started their periods.
"There's been a tremendous increase in body literacy which is fantastic, but now we need to address how that knowledge can be applied to educational and workplace settings, as well as improving medical care and access to treatment." Image source, Olivia Steuer Image caption, Maisie said the conversation on menstrual health has opened up a lot, but still has a long way to go Hill reiterated the importance of not dismissing people's experience of their cycle as "anxiety".
"My fear is that 'this information causes health anxiety' becomes yet another way to dismiss our experiences of the cycle, as if we can't handle knowledge about our own bodies.
"That dismissal has history behind it.
The word hysteria is derived from the Greek word for uterus, and for centuries, women's pain and emotions were pathologised as a fault of the uterus, treated in the form of a hysterectomy.
"Calling a woman's concern about her own body "anxiety" brings us close to that history," she added.
Image source, Poppy Taylor Image caption, Poppy Taylor, a PHD researcher, found that up to one in five did not receive menstrual education in school until after they had started menstruating Poppy Taylor, a PhD researcher at the University of Bristol, said people are now starting their periods from as young as eight.
Her research covers, external the experiences of 18-24-year-olds between 2000-2020 under the sex and relationships curriculum.
"Our study found that up to one in five did not receive menstrual education in school until after they had started menstruating," she said.
"Another issue is inclusivity.
It's important to tackle the culture of secrecy and making sure everyone has an awareness of what's happening to their bodies and their peers and how best to support them." Image source, Focus Pixel Art/ Getty Images Image caption, Research shows that periods are now starting from as young as eight-years-old Taylor went on to explain how things such as the menopause movement have "created a wider cultural shift in attitudes".
"It's helped to open the doors on conversations about other women's issues - there's also been an increase in research.
"I think it's empowering - people having better understanding of their bodies.
Having more knowledge helps people feel more prepared," she added.
Tell us which stories we should cover in Bristol Contact form
Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.
