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BMC Women's Health Apr 2023There is growing recognition of the important role menstrual health plays in achieving health, education, and gender equity. Yet, stigmatisation and taboo remain present...
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.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Educational Status; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Menarche; Menstruation; Schools; Surveys and Questionnaires; Social Stigma; Taboo; Spain
PubMed: 37016318
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02293-4 -
British Medical Journal Dec 1963
Topics: Female; Menstruation; Sports
PubMed: 14072642
DOI: No ID Found -
British Medical Journal Dec 1961
Topics: Crime; Criminal Psychology; Female; Humans; Menstruation
PubMed: 13883257
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.2.5269.1752 -
Global Health Action Jul 2020The transition from childhood to adolescence is a critical transitional period for girls, and as they experience these changes, having knowledge of, and being able to...
BACKGROUND
The transition from childhood to adolescence is a critical transitional period for girls, and as they experience these changes, having knowledge of, and being able to practice, good menstruation hygiene management is crucial. The objective of this study was to understand in and out of school adolescents' menstrual hygiene management practice, sources of information and attitudes towards menstruation.
METHODS
A cross sectional, descriptive study was conducted between November 2018 and May 2019. The sampling included adolescent girls aged 11-19 years in higher secondary schools in Khammouane and Champassak provinces and out-of-school adolescent girls. Out of the total number of 433 participants enrolled in the study, only 343 girls had reached menarche and were included in the study. Factors associated with menstruation hygiene management practice were examined with bivariate and multivariate analyses.
RESULTS
Out of 343 subjects who had reached menarche, 44% reported good menstrual hygiene management practice. Over half of the participants, however, were unable to access the tools of good menstruation hygiene management practice, including having somewhere to dispose of used sanitary pads in private. Being older (16-19 years) (AOR:2.4; 95%CI 1.4 to 3.9), and having primary education (AOR 0.4; 95%CI 0.2 to 0.9) were associated with good practice as was fathers' level of education (AOR 2.1; 95%CI 1.0 to 4.1) and mother-girl discussion about menstruation (AOR 2.2; 95%CI 1.0 to 5.0). No significant differences were found between in- and out-of-school adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study, not all participants were able to practice optimal menstruation hygiene management. This is important as good menstrual hygiene management is associated with better health and being able to participate fully in education and work. Further education is needed, but it is also important to ensure that all adolescent girls have access to the necessary tools for effective menstruation hygiene management.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Hygiene; Laos; Menarche; Menstruation; Students; Young Adult
PubMed: 32741349
DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2020.1785170 -
PloS One 2020An understanding of menstruation and its relationship to fertility can help women know the gestational age of any pregnancies, and thus identify preterm births. It can...
An understanding of menstruation and its relationship to fertility can help women know the gestational age of any pregnancies, and thus identify preterm births. It can also help women avoid unintended pregnancies. However, little is known about women, and especially men's, menstruation and fertility knowledge, outside of research on adolescent girls and stigma, and in low and middle income countries (LMIC). Additionally, little is known about practices surrounding the tracking of menstruation and fertility, and how, if at all, women would like to be supported in this. This research is the first phase in adapting a support tool for women in a LMIC, using an implementation science approach to understand relevant cultural needs. We explored women and men's understanding of the relationship between menstruation and fertility, and their interest in support tools, through in-depth qualitative interviews in rural western Kenya. We interviewed 45 adult men, adult women and adolescent women all who had children in 2018. We found high levels of misinformation about menstruation and fertility, with most respondents not knowing the correct times when a woman could become pregnant. Common sources of knowledge included friends/family and school. Few women got information from health providers, even when they were at a facility already for care. There were mixed feelings from women about wanting support from male partners regarding tracking menstruation. While women were interested in a tool that could help them track their menstruation and pregnancies, they had privacy concerns about a mobile health app approach and preferred simpler calendar based tools. This study provides evidence for the high need for correct menstruation information among both men and women, and not only for adolescents. It also suggests that despite the international health community's enthusiasm for mobile health solutions, that approach might not be most appropriate for this topic and setting.
Topics: Adult; Female; Fertility; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Kenya; Male; Menstruation; Poverty; Pregnancy; Rural Population; Young Adult
PubMed: 32126117
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229871 -
Family Medicine and Community Health Apr 2024
Topics: Humans; Female; Family Practice; Women's Health; Menstruation
PubMed: 38599789
DOI: 10.1136/fmch-2023-002149 -
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and... May 2019The common spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) is the only known rodent to demonstrate a myriad of physiological processes unseen in their murid relatives. The most recently... (Review)
Review
The common spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) is the only known rodent to demonstrate a myriad of physiological processes unseen in their murid relatives. The most recently discovered of these uncharacteristic traits: spontaneous decidual transformation of the uterus in virgin females, preceding menstruation. Menstruation occurring without experimental intervention in rodents has not been documented elsewhere to date, and natural menstruation is indeed rare in the animal kingdom outside of higher order primates. This review briefly summarises the current knowledge of spiny mouse biology and taxonomy, and explores their endocrinology which may aid in our understanding of the evolution of menstruation in this species. We propose that DHEA, synthesised by the spiny mouse (but not other rodents), humans and other menstruating primates, is integral in spontaneous decidualisation and therefore menstruation. We discuss both physiological and behavioural attributes across the menstrual cycle in the spiny mouse analogous to those observed in other menstruating species, including premenstrual syndrome. We further encourage the use of the spiny mouse as a small animal model of menstruation and female reproductive biology.
Topics: Animals; Decidua; Female; Haplorhini; Humans; Menstruation; Mice; Murinae
PubMed: 30610663
DOI: 10.1007/s10815-018-1390-3 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2022An active lifestyle elicits many health benefits. This study’s aim is to understand the actual of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) of female university students...
An active lifestyle elicits many health benefits. This study’s aim is to understand the actual of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) of female university students in Korea who are experiencing stress due to, e.g., study and employment. LTPA is the degree of exercise participation in leisure time; it is cardiovascular and strength-based behavior occurring within recreation, exercise or sport and provides a positive effect on life satisfaction and psychological well-being. LTPA has been recommended as a method of reducing menstrual symptom severity. However, a lack of evidence exists to support a clear relationship between LTPA and menstruation in female university students. Health consciousness (HC) refers to the degree of interest in one’s health, and Korean female university students pay considerable attention to their body shape, diet habits, and LTPA. This study investigated female university students (K University in Gangwon-do, D University in Busan, and U University in Ulsan) in three metropolitan cities in Korea. Specifically, after seeking cooperation from the person in charge of each university, the purpose of this study was explained. In addition, after promising to provide coffee coupons to students who wish to respond to the survey, cooperation was sought in recruiting research subjects through the person in charge of each university. In addition, a total of 36 surveys that did not have contents filled in fully or gave inconsistent answers were excluded among all survey participants. Chi-square test, t-test and univariate one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis were performed for between groups (HC, LTPA, intention to participate in LTPA). The LTPA results in relation to the menstruation patterns of Korean female college students are shown. First, there were no significant differences between menstruation (regular vs. irregular) and general LTPA during non-menstrual time periods (χ2 = 5.828, p < 0.212). However, female university students with regular menstruation patterns had higher LTPA after menstruation compared to female university students with irregular menstruation. Second, there were significant differences in the relationships among HC (p = 0.000), amount of LTPA (p = 0.002), and intention to perform LTPA (p = 0.002), according to the menstruation patterns (regular vs. irregular) of Korean female university students. In other words, those with regular menstruation patterns showed higher HC, amount of LTPA and intention to participate in LTPA than those with irregular menstruations. Third, there were significant differences in the relationship among HC (p = 0.000), amount of LTPA (p = 0.000), and intention to participate in LTPA (p = 0.000) according to LTPA of Korean female university students. Causation cannot be inferred from correlational studies. Therefore, female university students ultimately have different HC and participation in LTPA depending on menstruation regularity.
Topics: Exercise; Female; Humans; Leisure Activities; Menstruation; Republic of Korea; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities
PubMed: 35742739
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127492 -
PloS One 2021Assays measuring cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in blood have widespread potential in modern medicine. However, a comprehensive understanding of cfDNA dynamics in healthy...
Assays measuring cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in blood have widespread potential in modern medicine. However, a comprehensive understanding of cfDNA dynamics in healthy individuals is required to assist in the design of assays that maximise the signal driven by pathological changes, while excluding fluctuations that are part of healthy physiological processes. The menstrual cycle involves major remodelling of endometrial tissue and associated apoptosis, yet there has been little investigation of the impact of the menstrual cycle on cfDNA levels. Paired plasma samples were collected from 40 healthy women on menstruating (M) and non-menstruating (NM) days of their cycle. We measured total cfDNA by targeting ALU repetitive sequences and measured endothelial-derived cfDNA by methylation-specific qPCR targeting an endothelium-unique unmethylated CDH5 DNA region. CfDNA integrity and endothelial cfDNA concentration, but not total cfDNA, are consistent across time between NM and M. No significant changes in total (ALU-115 p = 0.273; ALU-247 p = 0.385) or endothelial cell specific (p = 0.301) cfDNA were observed, leading to the conclusion that menstrual status at the time of diagnostic blood collection should not have a significant impact on the quantitation of total cfDNA and methylation-based cancer assays.
Topics: Adult; Cell-Free Nucleic Acids; Endothelial Cells; Female; Humans; Menstruation; Middle Aged; Reproducibility of Results; Young Adult
PubMed: 33901234
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250561 -
Health & Place Nov 2020A growing literature attests to menstrual management difficulties of girls, women and other people who menstruate. Largely ignored are the menstruation-management needs...
A growing literature attests to menstrual management difficulties of girls, women and other people who menstruate. Largely ignored are the menstruation-management needs of people experiencing homelessness. We explored these realities in New York City through in-depth interviews with individuals living on the street and in shelters (n = 22), key informant interviews with staff at government agencies, shelters and service provider organizations (n = 15), and field audits of public toilets. This paper explores both pragmatic difficulties presented by inadequate access to toilets, bathing spaces, and laundering services, and pervasive menstrual stigma. Amplifying the difficulties was near-constant pressure "to pass," as someone who was not homeless in order to enable increased access to toilets, and as someone who was not menstruating, in order to engage in the activities of daily living. Our findings highlight the need for improved quality and accessibility of bathrooms for sheltered and street-dwelling homeless, and expedited access to bathing and laundering. Such actions are essential given the steady increase in homelessness in NYC and - under the long shadow of COVID - especially timely.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; COVID-19; Female; Ill-Housed Persons; Humans; Menstruation; New York City; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 32987242
DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102431