All pupils should be educated about menstrual wellbeing and endometriosis, MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee have said.

The Department for Education is currently consulting on draft regulations for the introduction of compulsory relationships education in primary schools, and relationships and sex education in secondary schools.

The draft guidance says “the onset of menstruation can be confusing or even alarming for girls if they are not prepared”, and says programmes “should include understanding of and preparation for menstruation, for all pupils”.

It also says that schools should make “adequate and sensitive arrangements” to help girls manage menstruation and with requests for sanitary protection.

Today, Robert Halfon, who chairs the select committee, has written to education secretary Damian Hinds calling for the proposals to go further.

He wrote: “In addition to the existing proposed guidance, we would like to add our voice to calls for specific education for all pupils about menstrual wellbeing and specifically the prevalence and impact of endometriosis on girls.”

The NHS defines endometriosis as “a condition where the tissue that lines the womb (endometrium) is found outside the womb, such as in the ovaries and fallopian tubes”.

It adds that “for some women, endometriosis can have a big impact on their life and may sometimes lead to feelings of depression”.