With a mission to help parents teach their daughters about menstruation easily and scientifically, social entrepreneurs Aditi Gupta and Tuhin Paul worked on and published ‘Menstrupedia’ — the first Indian comic book on menstruation. After a phenomenal success of the same, logically a book on boys’ puberty had to be the next project. ’Gulu’ — the colourful comic book and once again a first in India discusses boys’ puberty.
In this comic book, the young boy Gulu visits his grandparents and meets his cousin Aman, who is a doctor. Aman explains to him about the physical changes in boys and also in girls as they grow up, the need of maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, and personal hygiene. He also discusses the various feelings that boys experience as a result of hormonal changes, the male reproductive system and about making babies. Topics like masturbation and addiction of different kinds— an issue with many young adults are also discussed. Most importantly, young boys are introduced to girls’ puberty too.
Even today, for most parents discussing puberty with their son and/or daughter remains a taboo. Awkward silence, snubbing off the queries or providing unscientific theories or unrealistic anecdotes results in more confusion and wrong presumptions about physical changes and sexual activities. We are living in a time in which a child is literally flooded with audio-visual information — some right and many wrong — via different social media channels as well as from his/her peers. Therefore, it becomes an even more important responsibility of the parent(s)/ guardians/caregivers/teachers to guide a young mind in the right direction.
It must be mentioned here that the content has been developed with utmost care, in a culturally sensitive manner using age appropriate language and graphics, with input from medical consultants, and should in no way be considered a work of fiction even though the format is of one.
‘Gulu’ aims to help both the elders as well as the youngsters get correct and scientific answers to their queries about the ever evolving body and mind. It can also be vouched that ‘Gulu’ offers answers to quite a few secret queries that even many adults might have been harbouring in their minds for long.
Currently, ‘Gulu’ is available in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi. We hope this comic book becomes available in other Indian vernaculars too.
‘Growing up is exciting because it brings new and important changes in life !’ —says Aman to Gulu. Adolescence is indeed an important phase of life that shapes a future man. Interestingly, ‘Gulu’ does not stop at discussing and describing the basics of the male reproductive system. Rather, the comic book ideally intended for boys goes one step ahead and includes the discussion of periods as well as the discomforts that girls and women might face those few days of every month. In the end of the book, we get a glimpse of the college-going Gulu, who has grown up to be a sensitive and helpful young man.
Breaking barriers and challenging long-practiced social norms and beliefs are not easy tasks. Team Menstrupedia deserves wholehearted appreciation for their unique effort in busting myths about growing up and providing well-researched positive guidance on the same, one step at a time.