“I really hate it” - Menstruation Experience and Practices among Female Tertiary Students in Hohoe Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

In low- and middle-income settings, myths, taboos, and socio-cultural restrictions create barriers for menstruating individuals to acquire accurate information about menstruation, and this limit their daily and routine activities, and have the potential to negatively affect their self-esteem, reproductive health, and schooling. The ‘socio-menstrual’ milieu - beguiled with discrimination, stigmatization, heavy presence of myths and misconceptions, and social exclusion of the menstruating woman - have profound implications that form the experiences of menstruating women and inform the quality of menstruation management practices. More often than usual, studies exploring menstrual experiences and management practices are conducted among females in lower grades limiting the holistic understanding of menstrual hygiene management experiences and challenges among females in higher institutions of learning. This study mainly focused on uncovering the essence and nature of menstruation experiences and management practices through in-depth interviews using the phenomenological research design in a qualitative approach. Four tertiary institutions and 20 participants were conveniently and purposively selected respectively to participate in the study. Data transformation and thematic analysis were carried out using the MAXQDA version 2020 software. The findings showed that most participants were aged above 20 years, with a few either in a cohabiting relationship or married. Majority of the participants identified with the Christian religion. In terms of living arrangements, most (60%) of the participants lived with both parents. Further, the study used an integrating inductive and deductive data analysis techniques, and identified three major themes; Menstrual experiences during menarche, Menstrual experience at present, and Menstrual management practices. Generally, the menstrual experiences of tertiary students were characterized with severe cramps, discomfort, and nausea leading to missed lectures and challenges in maintaining focus during classes. The findings project the need for tailored support systems and educational interventions in tertiary institutions, recognizing the diversity of experiences among female students.