Menstrual mythology and sources of information about menstruation

Sivakami

Journal of Health Management

2015

Background: Menarche and menstrual experiences play a critical role in adolescent girls' life. These not only significantly influence their sexual and reproductive health but also possess much social and educational impact. This study qualitatively explores the perceptions, practices and experiences related to menarche and menstruation among rural Indian adolescent girls which has been less studied in the past literature.Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to select 32 adolescent girls (eight girls who did not reach menarche and 24 girls who attained menarche) from rural Maharashtra in India. Information about the perceptions, practices and experiences of menarche and menstruation among the participants was obtained through focus group discussions and was analyzed using thematic analysis.Findings: Most of the participants, especially girls without menarche lacked adequate knowledge about menstruation and its processes. All communications regarding menstruation were between friends, whereas mothers were found to be playing a limited role. Some of the girls were using sanitary pads, while most girls still use old cloths. Financial concerns and difficulty in obtaining sanitary pads were major obstructions for their use. Lack of awareness and appropriate care for menstrual morbidities were reported among these girls, which put impact on their educational attainment.Conclusions: Suitable strategy needs to be developed for providing correct knowledge about menstruation among adolescent girls, such as inclusion of adolescent friendly services in school curriculum and training of mothers and teachers to provide friendly counselling to the girls. Further, menstrual pad vending machines could be installed in schools and colleges, for easy access of sanitary pads at subsidized rate. Special care and support during menstruation can prevent several adverse events from occurring in adolescent girls' lives.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menarche and Menstruation in Rural Adolescent Girls in Maharashtra, India

Sivakami

Journal of Health Management

2015

“…Young people learn about menstruation from a variety of formal and informal sources (Cumming & Kieran 1991). Some girls first start their periods (while at school or otherwise) without knowing about menstruation and this must be very frightening (Kreitman 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sanitary towel provision and disposal in primary schools

Jones¹,

Finlay²

2001

Child

This study was designed to look at arrangements for menstruating girls in primary schools. We report the results of a questionnaire sent to the head teachers of 344 randomly selected primary schools throughout the UK. Although sanitary towels were available in 90% of schools, most girls had to ask an adult for a towel. Almost 60% of schools had disposal facilities, but in only 43% were facilities situated within individual toilet cubicles. The deficiencies identified in provision for girls in primary schools should be addressed.

Designing Interactive Systems Conference

“…Research exploring the experience of menstruation with adolescents in the UK suggests that the internet is an important educational source. Chat forums are found to be a space that and trusted support can give rise to misinformation and acceptance of myths [20]. Experienced others can support sense-making by sharing their experiences [36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

"It's come around way too quickly!" Can technology help parents provide support during menarche?

Rai

Patel

Singh

2022

Menarche is an important milestone and time of transition, where children and adolescents need information and support. Parents provide significant support, but barriers such as parents' own lack of confidence and information interfere. Existing technology for menstrual health is not always appropriate or accessible to younger adolescents and children. We ran two studies: Study1, an interview and design study explored how parents support children for menarche, their use of technology for this, and to understand the gaps. Study2 evaluated a design concept based on Study1, to gain further insights. Our findings show that menarche is an emotional time for parents and children; parents provide support and shared sensemaking but there is space for technology in providing scaffolding for parents to provide further support. However, there is a balance between sharing or support and privacy or control that needs to be negotiated between parents and children. We conclude with some reflections. CCS CONCEPTS • Human computer interaction (HCI) • Empirical studies in HCI •