Menstrual Experiences and Beliefs

Severy, Lawrence J.; Thapa, Shyam; Askew, Ian; Glor, Jeffrey E.

doi:10.1300/j013v20n02_01

Cited by 25 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Menstrual management is a fundamental human right, yet cultural customs and practices and lack of resources prevent girls and women from dealing with their menstrual needs with dignity. 1 , 2 Females in low and middle income countries (LMIC) have difficulty coping with menstrual needs due to lack of money or resources, forcing them to either accept suboptimal care or seek alternative ways of sourcing materials. 3 Coping with menstrual care with dignity is further compromised in LMICs with a lack of water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) facilities, 3–5 with women and girls self-reporting higher rates of reproductive tract infections such as vaginal discharge and itching in association with poor WASH conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstrual Needs and Associations with Sexual and Reproductive Risks in Rural Kenyan Females: A Cross-Sectional Behavioral Survey Linked with HIV Prevalence

Phillips-Howard

Otieno

Burmen

et al. 2015

Journal of Women's Health

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Background: Females in low and middle income countries (LMICs) have difficulty coping with menstrual needs, but few studies have examined the social or health implications of these needs.Methods: Responses from 3418 menstruating females aged 13–29 years were extracted from an HIV and behavioral risks cross-sectional survey conducted in rural western Kenya. We examined sanitary products used, provision of products from sexual partners or from transactional sex, and demographic and sexual exposures.Results: Overall, 75% of females reported using commercial pads and 25% used traditional materials such as cloth or items like paper or tissue, with 10% of girls <15 years old depending on makeshift items. Two-thirds of females with no education relied on traditional items. Having attended secondary school increased the odds of using commercial pads among married (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.25–7.12) and single females (AOR 2.17, 95% CI 1.04–4.55). Married females had lower odds of pad use if they reported early (<12 years of age) compared with later (≥18 years) sexual debut (64% vs. 78%, AOR 0.45, 95% CI 0.21–0.97). Two-thirds of pad users received them from sexual partners. Receipt was lower among married females if partners were violent (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.53–0.85). Receipt among single females was higher if they had two or more sexual partners in the past year (AOR 2.11, 95% CI 1.04–4.29). Prevalence of engaging in sex for money to buy pads was low (1.3%); however, 10% of 15-year-olds reported this, with girls ≤15 having significantly higher odds compared with females over 15 (AOR 2.84, 95% CI 0.89–9.11). The odds of having transactional sex for pads was higher among females having two or more partners in the past 12 months (AOR 4.86, 95% CI 2.06–11.43).Conclusions: Menstrual needs of impoverished females in rural LMICs settings likely leads to increased physical and sexual harms. Studies are required to strengthen knowledge and to evaluate interventions to reduce these harms.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstrual Needs and Associations with Sexual and Reproductive Risks in Rural Kenyan Females: A Cross-Sectional Behavioral Survey Linked with HIV Prevalence

Phillips-Howard

Otieno

Burmen

et al. 2015

Journal of Women's Health

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“…Data from cross-cultural research studies indicates that the attitudes, symptoms and treatment choices of women vary considerably depending on their geographical location, environment, health status and specific cultural paradigms that impact women’s health (Avis et al, 2001; Michel et al, 2006; Rasor and Adler, 1999). For example, research studies of menstrual health in Latin America suggest that women experience a lower incidence of menstrual symptoms as compared with their US female counterparts (Pawlowski, 2004; Severy et al, 1993). Another large cross-cultural investigation of menstruation conducted among 14 different cultural groups in 10 countries found a that 23–34% of women in developing countries, including Mexico, had reduced rates of menstrual symptoms (including dysmenorrhea, bloating, psychological changes) (Severy et al, 1993).…”

Section: 0 Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, research studies of menstrual health in Latin America suggest that women experience a lower incidence of menstrual symptoms as compared with their US female counterparts (Pawlowski, 2004; Severy et al, 1993). Another large cross-cultural investigation of menstruation conducted among 14 different cultural groups in 10 countries found a that 23–34% of women in developing countries, including Mexico, had reduced rates of menstrual symptoms (including dysmenorrhea, bloating, psychological changes) (Severy et al, 1993). In addition, a 2004 study among Maya women (n = 177) in the Yucatan revealed a low (28%) prevalence of menstrual pain, and the only variable found to be significantly related to the dysmenorrhea was the age at which the women gave birth to her first child (Pawlowski, 2004).…”

Section: 0 Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnomedical research and review of Q’eqchi Maya women's reproductive health in the Lake Izabal region of Guatemala: Past, present and future prospects

Michel

Cáceres

Mahady

2016

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

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Ethnopharmacological relevance In Central America, most Maya women use ethnomedicines for all aspects of their reproductive cycle including menstruation, pregnancy and menopause. However, very few of these plants have been documented, collected and tested in appropriate pharmacological assays to determine possible safety and efficacy. The aim of this work was to provide an overview of information on the ethnomedical uses, ethnopharmacology, chemistry and pharmacological research for medicinal plants used for women’s reproductive health in Guatemala, with a special emphasis on the Q’eqchi Maya of the Lake Izabal region, to demonstrate therapeutic potential and support future research in the field. Materials and Methods Reviews of the ethnobotanical, ethnomedical and ethnopharmacological literature were performed for thirty plants collected in the Lake Izabal region of Guatemala and used by the Q’eqchi Maya for treatment of reproductive health issues were performed up to and including July 2015 using multiple databases, library searches for abstracts, books, dissertations, and websites. Results and Conclusions Review of the published research confirms that many of the plants used by Q’eqchi Maya women for the management of reproductive health issues have pharmacological activities, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, estrogenic, progestagenic and/or serotonergic effects, that support the use of these plants and provide plausible mechanisms of action for their traditional uses. Furthermore, a new serotonin agonist, 9, 10- methylenedioxy-5, 6-Z-fadyenolide was isolated, thereby demonstrating an untapped potential for drug discovery. However, to date much of the pharmacological assays have been in vitro only, and few in vivo studies have been performed. Considering the large percentage of the Maya population in Guatemala that use traditional medicines, there remains a significant lack of pharmacological and toxicological data for these plants. Future research should focus on the safety and efficacy of medicinal plants using in vivo preclinical studies and clinical trials, as well as chemical analysis. Since medicinal plants from the Piperaceae are most commonly used as traditional medicines by the Q’eqchi Maya women, and new bioactive compounds have been identified from Piper species, investigations of commonly used plants from this family would be an appropriate place to start. Data generated from such studies would contribute to Guatemala’s national effort to promote a complementary relationship between traditional Maya medicine and public health services.

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Depot medroxyprogesterone versus Norethisterone oenanthate for long-acting progestogenic contraception.

Draper

Morroni

Hoffman

et al. 2006

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

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Menstrual Experiences and Beliefs

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Menstrual Needs and Associations with Sexual and Reproductive Risks in Rural Kenyan Females: A Cross-Sectional Behavioral Survey Linked with HIV Prevalence

Menstrual Needs and Associations with Sexual and Reproductive Risks in Rural Kenyan Females: A Cross-Sectional Behavioral Survey Linked with HIV Prevalence

Ethnomedical research and review of Q’eqchi Maya women's reproductive health in the Lake Izabal region of Guatemala: Past, present and future prospects

Depot medroxyprogesterone versus Norethisterone oenanthate for long-acting progestogenic contraception.

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