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Background Menstrual health is a recognised important public health issue and is essential for the realisation of gender equality and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. This study aimed to explore the menstrual health experiences of young people in Sweden and how the menstrual cycle affects their health and lives. The study also aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to achieving menstrual health. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in Sweden. Sixteen young people aged 18–28 who have experienced the menstrual cycle participated in individual interviews. Purposeful sampling combined with snowball sampling was applied to recruit the participants. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Participants viewed menstruation as a sign of having a healthy and functioning body. Menstruation was linked to becoming a woman and fostered a sense of community and sisterhood, which was viewed as positive among cis women. Further, the results showed that physical and emotional symptoms related to the menstrual cycle limited the participants’ everyday lives and social relationships and had a negative effect on their sexual and mental health. While managing their emotional discomfort and other menstrual complaints, they also had to deal with the public stigma and norms about menstruation contributing to shame and worries. Barriers to menstrual health included stigma and norms related to menstruation, which led to the adoption of expected behaviours, such as avoiding participation in social activities. The normalisation of menstrual complaints also contributed to delays in seeking healthcare, despite having symptoms that had a negative effect on their health. An important factor promoting menstrual health and quality of life is access to prompt treatment to mitigate and decrease symptoms that limit everyday life. Conclusions The results indicate that menstrual stigma and related norms create challenging situations limiting menstruating people’s everyday lives and reluctance to seek healthcare despite needing to. To promote the menstrual health of menstruating young people in Sweden, organised and systematic screening of menstrual cycle-related symptoms should be provided within student health services at schools and universities, and primary healthcare. Policymakers should consider integrating stigma-reducing efforts into public health interventions to improve general awareness and promote gender equality.
Background Menstrual health is a recognised important public health issue and is essential for the realisation of gender equality and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. This study aimed to explore the menstrual health experiences of young people in Sweden and how the menstrual cycle affects their health and lives. The study also aimed to identify the facilitators and barriers to achieving menstrual health. Methods We conducted a qualitative study in Sweden. Sixteen young people aged 18–28 who have experienced the menstrual cycle participated in individual interviews. Purposeful sampling combined with snowball sampling was applied to recruit the participants. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Participants viewed menstruation as a sign of having a healthy and functioning body. Menstruation was linked to becoming a woman and fostered a sense of community and sisterhood, which was viewed as positive among cis women. Further, the results showed that physical and emotional symptoms related to the menstrual cycle limited the participants’ everyday lives and social relationships and had a negative effect on their sexual and mental health. While managing their emotional discomfort and other menstrual complaints, they also had to deal with the public stigma and norms about menstruation contributing to shame and worries. Barriers to menstrual health included stigma and norms related to menstruation, which led to the adoption of expected behaviours, such as avoiding participation in social activities. The normalisation of menstrual complaints also contributed to delays in seeking healthcare, despite having symptoms that had a negative effect on their health. An important factor promoting menstrual health and quality of life is access to prompt treatment to mitigate and decrease symptoms that limit everyday life. Conclusions The results indicate that menstrual stigma and related norms create challenging situations limiting menstruating people’s everyday lives and reluctance to seek healthcare despite needing to. To promote the menstrual health of menstruating young people in Sweden, organised and systematic screening of menstrual cycle-related symptoms should be provided within student health services at schools and universities, and primary healthcare. Policymakers should consider integrating stigma-reducing efforts into public health interventions to improve general awareness and promote gender equality.
Despite continued success, female athletes are still underresourced and minoritized in research and applied spaces. This has translated to disparate injury and health outcomes among female athletes resulting from a sport infrastructure built on male physiology. The purpose of this article is to propose an evidence- and experience-based menstrual cycle (MC) phase–based training model for practitioners working with elite female athletes in team sport. Here, we provide physiological rationale, privacy considerations, and best practices to support female-centric training. The following model proposes periodization based on a theorized capacity of adaptation rather than acute performance or symptomology alone because evidence suggests that performance changes across the MC may be highly individual. In addition, strength and conditioning programs are formulated to balance stressors and recovery in the pursuit of optimal adaptation, irrelevant of acute exercise performance. Finally, we identify future directions for applied practitioners and researchers, and the potential need for collaborative innovations between the communities. Creating a training model based on the physiology and experience of female athletes communicates to female athletes that they belong in sport and are worthy of our time, attention, and resources to improve their health, safety, and performance now and through active retirement.
Amaç: Bu araştırmada 18-49 yaş aralığındaki kadınların menstrüasyona yönelik tutum düzeylerinin belirlenmesi ve menstrüel semptomlarıyla ilişkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı ve ilişki arayıcı tipte planlanan araştırmanın verileri, Aralık 2023-Ocak 2024 tarihleri arasında Türkiye genelinde en çok tercih edilen sosyal medya platformlarından online anketler kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemi 18-49 yaş aralığında ve menstrüel döngüye sahip 402 kadından oluşmuştur (n=402). Veriler, literatürden faydalanılarak hazırlanan 15 soruluk Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Menstrüasyon Tutum Ölçeği ve Menstrüasyon Semptom Ölçeği kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Bilgisayar destekli istatistik paket programıyla analiz edilen verilerde sayı, yüzde, frekans, medyan gibi tanımlayıcı istatistikler kullanılmıştır. Nonparametrik karşılaştırma testleri uygulanmış ve istatistiksel anlamlılık değeri p<0,05 olarak kabul edilmiştir. Ölçekler ve değişkenler arası ilişki ise Spearman Korelasyon Testiyle incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Yaş ortalaması 24,37 (±6,99) olan kadınların %81,1’nin bekâr olduğu ve 103,12 (±10,28) puanla menstrüasyona yönelik olumlu tutuma sahip oldukları saptanmıştır. Menstrüasyon Semptom Ölçeği’nden 70,98 (±15,83) puan alan kadınların şiddetli semptomlar yaşadıkları belirlenmiş olup çeşitli değişkenlerin tutum ve semptomlarla arasında istatistiksel anlamlı sonuçlar elde edilmiştir. Araştırmada menstrüasyona yönelik tutum ve semptomlar arasında pozitif yönlü zayıf düzeyde ilişki tespit edilmiştir (r=0,108, p=0,031). Sonuç: Kadınların menstrüasyona yönelik olumlu tutum sergiledikleri ancak yaygın şekilde menstrüel semptom gösterdikleri ve tutum düzeyi arttıkça semptomlarının şiddetlendiği belirlenmiştir. Menstrüel tutum ve semptom arasındaki ilişkinin daha iyi anlaşılabilmesi için kapsamlı çalışmaların yapılması önerilebilir.
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