A young woman was rushed to the hospital after suffering a severe injury.

It’s important to have open conversations about our bodies—about our health, our safety, and our emotional well-being. It’s critical that we stop pretending that these things are “too awkward” to talk about.

By educating ourselves about what’s going on with our bodies, by learning the right steps to take to protect ourselves, we can avoid the fear, the confusion, and the shame that often accompany unexpected situations.

We need to have these conversations, and we need to have them early. We need to be prepared, not only physically but emotionally. And, most importantly, we need to stop leaving people in the dark about these deeply personal experiences.

They don’t have to be scary, and they certainly don’t have to be isolating.