Menstrual Health Literacy and Management Strategies in Young Women in Australia: A National Online Survey of Young Women Aged 13-25 Years

Armour, Mike; Hyman, Mikayla; Al-Dabbas, Mahmoud A; Parry, Kelly; Ferfolja, Tania; Curry, Christina; MacMillan, Freya; Smith, Caroline; Holmes, Kathryn

doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2020.11.007

Cited by 62 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…This study provides insight into how TCM practitioners manage women presenting with CPP and other symptoms including dysmenorrhea and fatigue. Pelvic pain symptoms such as dyspareunia was an uncommon presenting symptom despite affecting almost three quarters of women with CPP( 35) and may re ect the normalisation of menstrual and pelvic pain (36). Just under two thirds of Australian women with CPP do not do not exclusively pursue or continue with medical care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Cross-Sectional Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner’s Knowledge, Treatment Strategies and Integration of Practice of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women

Arentz

Smith

Redmond

et al. 2021

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Background Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women is persistent, intermittent cyclical and non-cyclical lower abdominal pain, lasting for more than 6 months. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a popular treatment option for women’s health conditions, but little is known about how treatment for CPP is delivered by TCM practitioners. The aim of this survey was to explore practitioners understanding and treatment of women with CPP, and how they integrate their management and care into the health care system. Method An online cross-sectional survey of registered TCM practitioners in Australia and New Zealand. Survey domains included treatment characteristics (e.g. frequency), evaluation of treatment efficacy, referral networks, and sources of information that informed clinical decision making. Results One hundred and twenty-two registered TCM practitioners responded to this survey, 91.7% reported regular treatment of women with CPP. Treatment decisions were most-often guided by a combination of biomedical and TCM diagnosis (77.6%), and once per week was the most common treatment frequency (66.7%) for acupuncture. Meditation (63.7%) and dietary changes (57.8%) were other commonly used approaches to management. The effectiveness of treatment was assessed using multiple approaches, most commonly pain scales, (such as the numeric rating scale) and any change in use of analgesic medications. Limitations to TCM treatment were reported by over three quarters (83.7%) of practitioners, most commonly due to cost (56.5%) and inconvenience (40.2%) rather than safety or lack of efficacy. Integration within the wider healthcare system was common with over two thirds (67.9%) receiving referrals from health care providers. Conclusion TCM practitioners seeing women with various CPP symptoms, commonly incorporate both traditional and modern diagnostic methods to inform their treatment plan, monitor treatment progress using commonly accepted approaches and measures and often as a part of multidisciplinary healthcare for women with CPP.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Cross-Sectional Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner’s Knowledge, Treatment Strategies and Integration of Practice of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women

Arentz

Smith

Redmond

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…Despite the fact that almost 800 million people menstruate worldwide [ 4 ], in some cultures menstruation is still regarded as a taboo topic, shrouded in a culture of silence, with a lack of information, products and infrastructure to manage it [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]. Even in high-income countries (HICs) such as Australia, young women and their parents often report feeling uncomfortable discussing menstruation [ 7 , 8 ], leading to poor menstrual health literacy [ 9 ]. Adolescent girls are a vulnerable cohort since inadequate measures to support their menstrual health can have a profound impact on their confidence [ 10 ], education [ 2 ] and participation in daily activities [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review

Holmes

Curry

Sherry

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Background: Poor menstrual health literacy impacts adolescents’ quality of life and health outcomes across the world. The aim of this systematic review was to identify concerns about menstrual health literacy in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). Methods: Relevant social science and medical databases were searched for peer-reviewed papers published from January 2008 to January 2020, leading to the identification of 61 relevant studies. Results: A thematic analysis of the data revealed that LMICs report detrimental impacts on adolescents in relation to menstrual hygiene and cultural issues, while in HICs, issues related to pain management and long-term health outcomes were reported more frequently. Conclusions: In order to improve overall menstrual health literacy in LMICs and HICs, appropriate policies need to be developed, drawing on input from multiple stakeholders to ensure evidence-based and cost-effective practical interventions.

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“…The silencing of women and lack of open discussion around their reproductive bodies can have signi cant consequences in critical areas of their lives. The normalisation of menstrual and sexual pain reported by our respondents is common 8,38 and results in embarrassment 10 , with women often suffering in silence despite regularly missing work 39 or academic studies 40 . Across reproductive conditions, women frequently report distinct experiences of having their symptoms being dismissed, not being taken seriously or being misdiagnosed, all leading to serious implications for women's ongoing health 41 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…A lack of tailored information and support for pelvic pain could lead to isolation, poor support networks and lack of coping skills 7 . Lack of reliable information is especially concerning given that over half of young Australian women report non-cyclical pelvic pain at least once per month 37 , but often report they think it is not necessary to speak to a doctor about this or other pelvic pain symptoms such as pain during urination 38 . Awareness of endometriosis in young Australian women is still relatively low, with only 52% of adolescents having heard of endometriosis, while other forms of chronic pelvic pain almost unknown, with a vanishingly small percentage of adolescents (less than 10%) having heard of vulvodynia 38 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘A day to day struggle’: A comparative qualitative study on experiences of women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain

Armour¹,

Hawkey²,

Micheal³

et al. 2021

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There is an increasing body of research that considers the lived experiences of women with endometriosis. However, less attention has been paid to women’s lived experiences with non-endometriosis related chronic pelvic pain (CPP). The aim of this study was to explore similarities and differences in experiences of women with endometriosis and non-endometriosis related CPP. A total of 17 participants aged between 21 and 48 years old participated in three focus groups between June 2017 and February 2018. Using thematic analysis three main themes were found. In “the struggling women” women with both endometriosis and non-endometriosis related CPP described the impact that pain had across significant aspects of their lives including; intimate relationships, fertility, parenting and work. In the “unheard women”, participants shared similar accounts of not being listened to or taken seriously by healthcare professionals leading to incorrect or delayed diagnosis, and unnecessary treatments. In the final theme, “the self-silenced women” all participants described how a societal normalisation of heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain and dyspareunia led to women to silence their experiences. While all women wanted to resist such silencing through information and support seeking, women with non-endometriosis related CPP described fewer avenues to accessing credible resources or networks for support. Greater awareness, education and support resources are needed for women who experience non-endometriosis related CPP.

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Menstrual Health Literacy and Management Strategies in Young Women in Australia: A National Online Survey of Young Women Aged 13-25 Years

Cited by 62 publications

References 42 publications

A Cross-Sectional Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner’s Knowledge, Treatment Strategies and Integration of Practice of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women

A Cross-Sectional Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner’s Knowledge, Treatment Strategies and Integration of Practice of Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women

Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review

‘A day to day struggle’: A comparative qualitative study on experiences of women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain

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