Dismantling menstrual taboos to overcome gender inequality

Wilson, Emily; Haver, Jacquelyn; Torondel, Belén; Rubli, Jennifer; Caruso, Bethany A.

doi:10.1016/s2352-4642(18)30209-8

Cited by 28 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…For girls, puberty begins with thelarche, accelerated growth and the onset of menarche, which marks the beginning of the reproductive phase of a woman's life [2]. Menarche is a natural physiological process and a sign of good physical health, yet despite these many girls, especially in lower-and middle-income countries (LMICs), start their menstruation unprepared for managing their periods and unsure of when and where to seek help [3][4][5][6][7]. Most adolescent girls turn to their mothers or other female confidantes to learn about menstruation, but these female confidantes themselves may be misinformed and uncomfortable in discussing sexuality, reproduction and menstruation [1,[6][7][8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstruation practice among school and out-of-school adolescent girls, Lao PDR

Sychareun

Chaleunvong

Essink

et al. 2020

Global Health Action

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Background: The transition from childhood to adolescence is a critical transitional period for girls, and as they experience these changes, having knowledge of, and being able to practice, good menstruation hygiene management is crucial. The objective of this study was to understand in and out of school adolescents' menstrual hygiene management practice, sources of information and attitudes towards menstruation. Methods: A cross sectional, descriptive study was conducted between November 2018 and May 2019. The sampling included adolescent girls aged 11-19 years in higher secondary schools in Khammouane and Champassak provinces and out-of-school adolescent girls. Out of the total number of 433 participants enrolled in the study, only 343 girls had reached menarche and were included in the study. Factors associated with menstruation hygiene management practice were examined with bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Out of 343 subjects who had reached menarche, 44% reported good menstrual hygiene management practice. Over half of the participants, however, were unable to access the tools of good menstruation hygiene management practice, including having somewhere to dispose of used sanitary pads in private. Being older (16-19 years) (AOR:2.4; 95%CI 1.4 to 3.9), and having primary education (AOR 0.4; 95%CI 0.2 to 0.9) were associated with good practice as was fathers' level of education (AOR 2.1; 95%CI 1.0 to 4.1) and mother-girl discussion about menstruation (AOR 2.2; 95%CI 1.0 to 5.0). No significant differences were found between in-and out-of-school adolescents. Conclusions: In this study, not all participants were able to practice optimal menstruation hygiene management. This is important as good menstrual hygiene management is associated with better health and being able to participate fully in education and work. Further education is needed, but it is also important to ensure that all adolescent girls have access to the necessary tools for effective menstruation hygiene management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstruation practice among school and out-of-school adolescent girls, Lao PDR

Sychareun

Chaleunvong

Essink

et al. 2020

Global Health Action

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“…Currently, women also seek information on the internet due to its ease of accessibility, although the information on menstruation that these websites provide is often inaccurate and confusing [ 50 ]. For these reasons, in recent years, several authors have pointed out the need for greater menstrual literacy and have analyzed current educational interventions in this regard, stressing that these websites are having a poor effect in terms of dismantling taboos and menstrual myths [ 21 , 24 , 25 ]. It is therefore considered necessary to continue working on more effective interventions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, socially, there is still a tendency to conceal menstruation, as reflected in television adverts for menstruation-related products [ 22 ]. Seear [ 23 ] even pointed out that publicizing menstrual issues can make women more vulnerable to stigmatization, and various authors in the same vein highlight the need to implement new educational strategies in this regard [ 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perception of Menstrual Normality and Abnormality in Spanish Female Nursing Students

Abreu-Sánchez

Parra-Fernández

Onieva-Zafra

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Menstrual problems are usually taboo; and often, some, such as dysmenorrhea, are presumed normal. This study seeks to compare the menstrual characteristics and symptoms of female university students reporting self-perceived normality concerning their cycles and menstruation with those who perceive their menstruation as being abnormal. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 270 nursing students using a self-report questionnaire that included sociodemographic and gynecological issues, together with Visual Analog Scale, the Andersch and Milsom Scale, and the Spanish version of the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EuroQol-5D) to measure self-perceived health status. A bivariate analysis was performed using the chi-square test, linear trend chi-square, and Student’s t-test, and a multivariate analysis of stepwise binary logistic regression was performed to predict the perception of cycle abnormality. In total, 77.4% of participants displayed normality; however, in self-reporting of menstrual characteristics, 67.4% identified alterations. Young women suffering from menstrual dizziness were 1.997 (CI95% = 1.010–3.950; p = 0.047) more likely to manifest abnormal menstruation, 4.518 (CI95% = 1.239–16.477; p = 0.022) more likely if they suffered from Grade 3 menstrual pain, and 2.851 (CI95% = 1.399–5.809; p = 0.004) more likely if they perceived that menstruation interfered with their daily lives. Many menstrual changes and symptoms are still considered normal, making it difficult to identify and address these issues. Therefore, it is necessary to develop health policies and strategies to improve menstrual health literacy for increased knowledge and earlier diagnosis.

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“…This includes increasing recognition that girls, women and all individuals who menstruate have specific menstruation-related needs that often go unmet ( 8 , 9 ), including access to safe toilets with water and disposal ( 7 , 10 ), affordable sanitary products, and accurate menstruation information ( 4 , 9 , 11 ). Furthermore, as explored in numerous studies, many girls report experiencing shame, fear, and anxiety around menstruation ( 1 , 6 , 12 ), and in some contexts girls and women face menstrual restrictions, taboos and discomfort that limit their actions and mobility, and impact their education ( 13 ), health, and work productivity ( 14 , 15 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Extent to Which Menstruation-Related Issues Are Included in Graduate-Level Public Health Curricula

Sommer

Lee

Liu

et al. 2020

Front. Public Health

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Objectives: Menstruation is increasingly recognized as an issue in domestic and global public health. Public health graduates of U.S. schools of public health must have adequate competencies to address menstruation and its implications for health and well-being in their future endeavors in research, practice and policy. This study sought to understand the extent to which U.S. schools currently integrate menstruation-related content (menstrual health, menstrual hygiene, etc.) and related competencies into their curricula. Methods: We reviewed the course directories of the top 20 US schools of public health as ranked in 2018. Courses were selected based on inclusion of menstruation and adolescent health-related search terms. Syllabi were subsequently obtained and analyzed for inclusion of specific menstruation-related terms. Syllabi including these terms were further analyzed to determine the level of inclusion of menstruation-related topics in relation to public health competencies, and the area of specialization. Results: Of an estimated 5,000 courses assessed, 28 included menstruation-related topics. Most frequently, this inclusion was minimal (e.g., a single reading or assignment), and was limited in scope. Content was typically found within global health, environmental health, and maternal and child health. Conclusions: Given growing attention to menstruation domestically and globally, and the limited current inclusion of this issue in US schools of public health curricula, graduates may not be receiving adequate training on a critically important topic of relevance within population health. Schools should consider reviewing their curricula to assess whether there are opportunities to integrate menstruation-related content in relation to the relevant public health competencies.

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Dismantling menstrual taboos to overcome gender inequality

Cited by 28 publications

References 5 publications

Menstruation practice among school and out-of-school adolescent girls, Lao PDR

Menstruation practice among school and out-of-school adolescent girls, Lao PDR

Perception of Menstrual Normality and Abnormality in Spanish Female Nursing Students

The Extent to Which Menstruation-Related Issues Are Included in Graduate-Level Public Health Curricula

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