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A Qualitative Content Analysis of Rural and Urban School Students’ Menstruation-Related Questions in Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Deena Mehjabeen

    (Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia)

  • Erin C. Hunter

    (School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
    Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA)

  • Mehjabin Tishan Mahfuz

    (Environmental Interventions Unit, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh)

  • Moshammot Mobashara

    (Environmental Interventions Unit, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh)

  • Mahbubur Rahman

    (Environmental Interventions Unit, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh)

  • Farhana Sultana

    (Environmental Interventions Unit, Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B), Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
    Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia)

Abstract

Nearly half of Bangladeshi girls reach menarche without knowledge of menstruation and many fear seeking support due to pervasive menstrual stigma. We aimed to explore the types of menstruation-related information and support adolescent female and male students want but may be uncomfortable verbalising. We installed a locked box in four school classrooms in rural and urban Bangladesh as part of a menstrual hygiene management pilot intervention between August 2017 and April 2018. Trained teachers provided puberty education to female and male students in classes 5–10 (ages 10–17 years) and encouraged students to submit questions anonymously to the boxes if they did not want to ask aloud. We conducted a content analysis of the 374 menstruation-related questions from a total of 834 submissions. Questions regarded experiences of menstrual bleeding (35%); menstrual symptoms and management (32%); menstrual physiology (19%); behavioural prescriptions and proscriptions (6%); concerns over vaginal discharge (4%); and menstrual stigma, fear, and social support (4%). Students wanted to understand the underlying causes of various menstrual experiences, and concern over whether particular experiences are indicative of health problems was pervasive. Ensuring comprehensive school-based menstruation education and strengthening engagement among schools, parents, and healthcare providers is important for improving access to reliable menstrual health information and may relieve adolescents’ concerns over whether their menstrual experiences are ’normal’.

Suggested Citation

  • Deena Mehjabeen & Erin C. Hunter & Mehjabin Tishan Mahfuz & Moshammot Mobashara & Mahbubur Rahman & Farhana Sultana, 2022. "A Qualitative Content Analysis of Rural and Urban School Students’ Menstruation-Related Questions in Bangladesh," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:10140-:d:889579
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kathryn Holmes & Christina Curry & Sherry & Tania Ferfolja & Kelly Parry & Caroline Smith & Mikayla Hyman & Mike Armour, 2021. "Adolescent Menstrual Health Literacy in Low, Middle and High-Income Countries: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Julie Hennegan & Paul Montgomery, 2016. "Do Menstrual Hygiene Management Interventions Improve Education and Psychosocial Outcomes for Women and Girls in Low and Middle Income Countries? A Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Vishna Shah & Helen Nabwera & Bakary Sonko & Fatou Bajo & Fatou Faal & Mariama Saidykhan & Yamoundaw Jallow & Omar Keita & Wolf-Peter Schmidt & Belen Torondel, 2022. "Effects of Menstrual Health and Hygiene on School Absenteeism and Drop-Out among Adolescent Girls in Rural Gambia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-23, March.
    4. Mukta Gundi & Malavika A Subramanyam, 2019. "Menstrual health communication among Indian adolescents: A mixed-methods study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-22, October.
    5. Colin Sumpter & Belen Torondel, 2013. "A Systematic Review of the Health and Social Effects of Menstrual Hygiene Management," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(4), pages 1-15, April.
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