The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will host Girlology® and Guyology® on April 26 to help girls and boys face puberty with greater confidence.
Guyology® will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the 12th floor auditorium of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. The event is for boys ages 9-13, accompanied by a parent or other caregiver.
Girlology® will be held from 2-4:30 p.m. at the same location. It is for girls ages 8-14, also accompanied by a parent or other caregiver.
“Many parents find it difficult to talk about puberty with their children. These programs are designed to make it easier to start these important conversations,” said Nirvana Manning, M.D., professor and chair of the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “With both of these programs, our goal is to create a safe space for families where physicians provide medically accurate information, create a shared experience, and keep the lines of communication open in the future.”
At Guyology®, attendees will learn about growth and development; hygiene and hair; health and nutrition; moods and emotions; internet safety and curiosity; and even girls’ puberty.
Offered for the first time in Arkansas, Guyology® will be taught by Timothy Langford, M.D., professor and chair of the UAMS Department of Urology; and Ashay Patel, D.O., an associate professor of urology in the UAMS Department of Pediatrics who sees patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
“Since we started offering Girlology®, parents have been asking us if we could do a similar session for boys,” said Manning. “We’re so grateful to our colleagues in the departments of Urology and Pediatrics for their work in bringing Guyology® to Arkansas.”
Girlology® attendees will learn about growth and development; bras and bra shopping; hygiene and hair management; nutrition and growth; menstruation and menstrual hygiene; respect for self and others; moods and emotions; and internet safety and curiosity.
In addition to Manning, Girlology® is taught by UAMS physicians from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology — Laura Hollenbach, M.D., associate professor; and Kathryn Stambough, M.D., an assistant professor in the department’s Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology who sees patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The cost for each program is $30, although scholarships are available for those who cannot afford that amount.
For more information or to register for the event, visit uamshealth.com/uams-puberty-education/.
UAMS held its first Girlology® session in August 2022. Approximately 220 girls and their accompanying adults attended the inaugural event. Since then, several more sessions have been held, and more than 1,800 families have attended.
Girlology® and Guyology® are physician-led digital health apps that support youths and their caregivers through on-demand video, resources and live events.