Experiences and Constructions of Menarche and Menstruation Among Migrant and Refugee Women

Hawkey, Alexandra; Ussher, Jane M.; Perz, Janette; Metusela, Christine

doi:10.1177/1049732316672639

Cited by 68 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…This qualitative study revealed the value which participants place on access to menstrual materials as well as the importance of sanitation infrastructure design and menstrual hygiene education, and is consistent with literature outlining the required components of an adequate MHM intervention. 4 , 16 Also, consistent with the literature were themes of secrecy and shame 17 , 18 and that the existence of cultural and religious beliefs was not expressively shared by all, regardless of similarities in country of origin and religious or cultural identity. 7 Practices were, however, homogenous in that external absorbent products were preferred.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Exploring menstrual practices and potential acceptability of reusable menstrual underwear among a Middle Eastern population living in a refugee setting

VanLeeuwen

Torondel

2018

IJWH

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PurposeMenstruation is a biological process that approximately half of the world’s population experiences over a significant period of their lifetime. As a displaced female, managing menstruation can be challenging as limited resources and changes in context confront the cultural norms of communities. This study explores the hypothetical acceptability and potential utility of a reusable menstrual underwear product through examining the beliefs, behaviors, and practices toward menstrual hygiene in a Middle Eastern population living in a refugee setting.Participants and methodsA qualitative study employing a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions was conducted with 30 refugee women and 5 humanitarian staff in Ritsona, Greece. All 30 refugee women completed a questionnaire, six refugee women and five humanitarian staff participated in individual semi-structured interviews, and four focus group discussions were held containing five to six refugee women per group. Inductive analysis led to the development of key themes.ResultsPrimary data analysis of narratives around the beliefs, behaviors, and practices of menstrual hygiene in this population revealed key themes related to the physical environment, the social environment, cleanliness, comfort, and health, and adaptation and coping. Themes related to the potential use of menstrual underwear included comfort, appearance, and concept, absorbent capacity and selected use, hygiene, and knowledge and implementation.ConclusionMenstrual hygiene beliefs, behaviors, and practices are mostly consistent with existing literature. An acceptance of the concept of reusable menstrual underwear was expressed, although the perceived benefits of this product did not outweigh customary practices. The use of menstrual underwear as a complimentary product to traditional absorbents was expressed as helpful for promoting dignity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Exploring menstrual practices and potential acceptability of reusable menstrual underwear among a Middle Eastern population living in a refugee setting

VanLeeuwen

Torondel

2018

IJWH

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“…Discussion on social impacts of menstruation exists, though there remains a lack of research to quantify outcomes. 40 Two separate analysis 23 , 41 of one qualitative study exploring experiences of sexual embodiment and menstruation in migrants and refugees found recurring themes of shame, secrecy, and dirtiness among the multicultural participants. Additionally, themes of anxiety, fear, and distraction were found to be associated with menstruation.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving menstrual hygiene management in emergency contexts: literature review of current perspectives

VanLeeuwen

Torondel

2018

IJWH

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Management of menstruation in contexts of humanitarian emergencies can be challenging. A lack of empirical research about effective interventions which improve menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among female populations in humanitarian emergencies and a lack of clarity about which sectors within a humanitarian response should deliver MHM interventions can both be attributable to the lack of clear guidance on design and delivery of culturally appropriate MHM intervention in settings of humanitarian emergencies. The objective of this review was to collate, summarize, and appraise existing peer-reviewed and gray literature that describes the current scenario of MHM in emergency contexts in order to describe the breadth and depth of current policies, guidelines, empirical research, and humanitarian aid activities addressing populations’ menstrual needs. A structured-search strategy was conducted for peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify studies, published reports, guidelines, and policy papers related to menstrual response in emergency humanitarian contexts. Of the 51 articles included in the review, 16 were peer-reviewed papers and 35 were gray literature. Most of the literature agreed that hardware interventions should focus on the supply of adequate material (not only absorbent material but also other supportive material) and adequate sanitation facilities, with access to water and private space for washing, changing, drying, and disposing menstrual materials. Software interventions should focus on education in the usage of materials to manage menstruation hygienically and education about the female body’s biological processes. There was clear agreement that the needs of the target population should be assessed before designing any intervention. Although there is insight about which factors should be included in an effective menstrual hygiene intervention, there is insufficient empirical evidence to establish which interventions are most effective in humanitarian emergencies and which sectors should be responsible for the coordination and implementation of such. Increased monitoring and evaluation studies of interventions should be completed and publicly shared, in order to feed evidence-based guidelines in the humanitarian sector.

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“…The low usage of the oral contraceptive pill in the included studies is surprising, given that population surveys have shown an inverse relationship between contraceptive usage and self-reported period pain[55–57] and the combined oral contraceptive (COC) is commonly recommended as a second line of treatment for primary dysmenorrhea if NSAIDs have been unsuccessful [5, 58]. The reasons for the lower usage in LMIC may be influenced by cultural or religious factors, especially in young or unmarried women due to concerns that the COC promotes sexual promiscuity [12, 59]. Usage of COC in HIC was significantly higher, but still considerably lower than using analgesics, even though many women reported lack of effective pain relief with analgesics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, some countries such as Sri Lanka, Nigeria and India, have traditionally held strong taboos related to menstruation [9–11]. This in turn may impact how women manage their menstrual pain due to their beliefs and attitudes and/or a lack of accurate information[12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-care strategies and sources of knowledge on menstruation in 12,526 young women with dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2019

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Introduction: Dysmenorrhea (period pain) is common and affects around three quarters of all young women under the age of 25. The majority of young women, for a variety of reasons, think of period pain as ‘normal’ and something to be managed or endured. This normalisation of pain often is reinforced by family and friends and results in young women using self-care strategies to manage their pain rather than seeking medical advice. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined observational studies reporting on the prevalence of different types of self-care, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical, self-rated effectiveness of self-care and the sources of information on menstruation in young women under 25 Methods: A search of Medline, PsychINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL in English was carried out from 1980 to December 2018. Studies that reported on menstrual self-care strategies in young women were included. Results: Nine hundred and forty-seven articles were screened. Twenty-four studies including 12,526 young women were eligible and included in the meta-analysis. Fifteen studies were from low, lower-middle or upper-middle-income countries (LMIC) and nine studies were from high income countries (HIC). Self-care was used by over half of all young women (55%, 95%CI 34.1–74.3) with both pharmaceutical (48%, 95%CI 40.0–57.0) and non-pharmaceutical (51.8%, 95%CI 31.3–71.7) options used. Paracetamol was the most common analgesic used (28.7%, 95%CI 19.6–39.9) but did not always provide sufficient pain relief in almost half of those using it. Contraceptive use was significantly higher (P<0.001) in HIC (22%) compared to LMIC (1%). Only 11% (95%CI 8.4–15.2) of young women reported seeing a medical doctor for their period pain. Conclusions: Self-care usage, both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical, was common, but young women were not necessarily choosing the most effective options for pain management. High-quality information on self-care for period pain is urgently needed.

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Experiences and Constructions of Menarche and Menstruation Among Migrant and Refugee Women

Cited by 68 publications

References 76 publications

Exploring menstrual practices and potential acceptability of reusable menstrual underwear among a Middle Eastern population living in a refugee setting

Exploring menstrual practices and potential acceptability of reusable menstrual underwear among a Middle Eastern population living in a refugee setting

Improving menstrual hygiene management in emergency contexts: literature review of current perspectives

Self-care strategies and sources of knowledge on menstruation in 12,526 young women with dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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