Menstrual Madness: Women's Health and Well-Being in Urban Burma

Abstract

Women's health in peri-urban Burma is conceived of in terms of blood, strength, and the relationship between the body, the body politic, and the local environment. The regulation and volume of blood at menstruation and childbirth are the fundamental indicators of health and well-being. Well-being is contingent on harmony in and between the body and the universe. Blood flow is a key symbol through which women's beliefs and practices concerning their health and well-being can be understood at the levels of pathophysiology, interpersonal relations, the local environment, and the wider political and moral economies of urban Burma.

Women's views and experiences of their vaginal bleeding patterns: An international perspective from Norplant users

“…In addition to an 'illness' model, these include the conception of menstrual blood as 'polluting' 8,9,22,31 , menses as cleansing of 'bad blood' and toxins 24 , feminine and natural 8,9,19,20,30,33 , an indicator of fertility and youth in contrast to menopause [33][34][35] , and reassurance of not being pregnant, among others. The nature of data collection in this study did not allow further exploration of women's underlying conceptualisation of their menses; such a study would likely reveal a complicated tapestry of such models, tempered by individual women's age, social class, religion, level of education, place of residence, and professional status, contributing to women's perceptions.…”

Cultural aspects of menstruation and menstrual hygiene in adolescents

“…In Uganda (Kanlangala district in central Uganda), menstruating girls lacking other absorbent materials were reported to manage menstruation by sitting immobilized, on a pile of sand, for the four or so days of menstruation [102]. Traditional beliefs discourage tampon use in many cultures, since women often believe that unimpeded blood flow is necessary to maintain health [38][39][40], or that use of tampons represent a loss of virginity, a fact that particularly discourages use among adolescents [41].…”

Dictatorship, Disorder and Decline in Myanmar

“…9 There are an estimated 9000 herbal and medicinal plants now being grown throughout the country. 10 An exception to this rule appears to be knowledge of emmenagogues-medications taken to induce miscarriage or as a method of fertility regulation (Skidmore 2002). 11 Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient philosophy of health care native to the Indian subcontinent, sometimes considered as a Hindu system of health care because it derives from the oral advice on living in the Hindu Vedas.…”