Monitoring Menstrual Health Knowledge: Awareness of Menstruation at Menarche as an Indicator

Hennegan, Julie; Swe, Zay Yar; Than, Kyu Kyu; Smith, Calum; Sol, Lidwien; Alberda, Hilda; Bukenya, Justine; Kibira, Simon P. S.; Makumbi, Fredrick; Schwab, Kellogg J.; Azzopardi, Peter

doi:10.3389/fgwh.2022.832549

Cited by 7 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The amount of information that PWM possess during their first bleeding influences how they experience menarche [ 44 ]. This is consistent with several studies that found that participants felt underprepared and recalled high levels of fear and distress at menarche if they were unaware of menstruation [ 5 , 10 , 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…The average age for menarche in our population was 12.08 years, in line with the range provided by previous studies (11.9—12.1 years) [ 32 ]. Older age at menarche is associated with more information [ 33 ], probably because those who experience menarche later have more time and chances to learn about it. In our study, several respondents who experienced early menarche commented on how they received the information too late and the negative impact this had on how they lived through their first period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our results show that knowledge on the biological causes of periods increases the experience of both positive ( joy or pride ) and negative emotions ( stress and sadness ). Similarly, a study in Myanmar showed that girls who knew about the occurrence of periods and their links to reproduction did not have significantly less fear and reported higher levels of embarrassment [ 33 ]. A possible explanation for the increase in negative emotions is that the information girls received about periods already contributed to the narrative of shame and embarrassment [ 45 – 47 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another possibility is that those who knew the cause of the bleeding were also aware of its long-term implications (e.g., years of managing periods, the potential for pregnancy). Reliable and positive information is needed to improve girls’ experience at menarche [ 33 , 46 ]. Conversely, positive emotions experienced during menarche are usually related to the idea of growing up (i.e., pride) and understanding menses as a sign of ‘maturity’ or ‘becoming a woman’ (note this has been shown to contribute to gender dysphoria for PWM but do not identify as women or girls [ 4 ]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spanish menstrual literacy and experiences of menstruation

et al. 2023

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There is growing recognition of the important role menstrual health plays in achieving health, education, and gender equity. Yet, stigmatisation and taboo remain present and negative emotions like fear and shame dominate the narrative when speaking about periods. This paper analyses how formal and informal menstrual education is received in Spain, to understand the role of menstrual health literacy in the way menstruation is experienced, and to identify what information would be useful to integrate into formal menstrual education. An online survey with more than 4000 participants (aged between 14 and 80, both people who will/do/have previously menstruate/d and those who do not menstruate) was conducted. Data was gathered using the digital platform Typeform, descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software and qualitative data was thematically analysed using Nvivo. Many participants declared not having received sufficient information on menstruation prior to menarche, particularly about how to physically manage it. Furthermore, negative emotions like shame, worry, and fear were recurrently reported to describe menarche; this has not changed between generations. Interestingly, we saw an increase in stress and sadness with an increase in perceived knowledge of the reproductive role of menstruation. We did observe a reduction in negative emotions when people who menstruate perceived they had sufficient information on how to manage their first bleeding. It is recommended that menstrual education beyond reproductive biology, particularly including how to physically manage periods, is integrated into school curricula. Menstrual education of everyone – including those who do not menstruate—can improve how periods are experienced in Spain.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spanish menstrual literacy and experiences of menstruation

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“… 47 In a secondary analysis of four studies assessing awareness of menstruation before menarche among 2317 schoolgirls from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Uganda, and 599 adult women from Uganda, awareness was the lowest in Bangladesh (34%) and highest in Myanmar (84%). 49 Lack of menstrual knowledge among university students from LMICs was associated with negative menstrual experiences throughout reproductive life and might have a negative impact on general health and well-being of girls and women. 20 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstrual health and hygiene among young Palestinian female university students in the West Bank: a cross-sectional study

et al. 2023

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ObjectiveWe investigated some aspects of menstrual health and hygiene among young female students at Birzeit University in the West Bank of the occupied Palestinian territory.DesignCross-sectional study in a large central university.ParticipantsOut of a total of 8473 eligible female students, a calculated sample size of 400 students aged between 16 and 27 years was obtained.SettingLarge central university, West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).MeasuresAn anonymous structured international research instrument consisting of 39 questions based on the Menstrual Health Questionnaire, in addition to few questions relevant to the context, was administered.Results30.5% of participants were not informed about menstruation before menarche, and 65.3% reported that they were not ready when they got their first period. The highest reported source of information regarding menstruation was family (74.1%), followed by school (69.3%). About 66% of respondents reported that they need more information on various topics of menstruation. The most common type of menstrual hygiene products used were single-use pads (86%), followed by toilet paper (13%), nappies (10%) and reusable cloths (6%). Of the total 400 students, 14.5% reported that menstrual hygiene products are expensive, and 15.3% reported that they always/sometimes had to use menstrual products that they do not like because they are cheaper. Most (71.9%) of the respondents reported that they used menstrual products for longer time than recommended due to inadequate washing facilities at the university campus.ConclusionsThe findings provide useful evidence on the lack and the need for menstrual-related information for female university students, inadequate infrastructure to help them manage their menstruation with dignity and pointed to some menstrual poverty in accessing menstrual products. A national intervention programme is needed to increase awareness regarding menstrual health and hygiene among women in local communities and female teachers in schools and universities to enable them to disseminate information to and meet the practical needs of girls at home, at school and at the university.

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