Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2024
Abstract
BACKGROUND: While menstruation is a physiologic process, it remains highly stigmatized. Despite the sheer number of menstruators, menstruation is a highly individualized experience, with wide variation in duration, symptoms, and management. This wide variability lends itself to large disparities in access to menstruation management products and subsequently the lived experience of menstruators.
OBJECTIVES: The research team sought to understand lived menstrual experiences, symptoms, management tactics, and commonly used and desired resources among 20 cisgendered women aged 18-45 years in Philadelphia.
DESIGN: This project was a qualitative research study.
METHODS: We used a collaborative, community-based participatory research approach with No More Secrets, a Philadelphia-based grassroots sexuality awareness and menstrual health hub. Semi-structured telephone interviews were used to gain insight into general menstruation-related experiences, communication, worries, and concerns, with subsequent thematic analysis via Key Words in Context approach.
RESULTS: Four themes emerged following analysis: cycle characteristics, menstruation management, coping resources, and future resources. Participants largely spoke about their menses as a negative experience, asked for more comprehensive, verified sources of information and needed greater access to menstrual management supplies.
CONCLUSION: Menstruation is a highly individualized experience with a large variety in knowledge, menstrual product use, and individual needs. Despite the individuality of menstruation, our community-based research shows that there is a dire need for interventions that promotes knowledge and access to menstrual care.
Recommended Citation
Casola, Allison; Pando, Oriana; Medley, Lynette; Kunes, Brianna; McGlone, Nya; and Rea, Olivia, "Examining Menstrual Health Experiences in Philadelphia, PA: A Qualitative Investigation" (2024). Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers. Paper 76.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/fmfp/76
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
PubMed ID
38738597
Language
English
Comments
This article is the author's final published version in Women's Health, Volume 20, 2024.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057241251975.
Copyright © The Author(s) 2024