Menstrual Perceptions and Preparation Among Female Adolescents |
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Authors: | BEVERLY HAVENS RN MN MPH INGRID SWENSON RN DPH |
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Affiliation: | Beverly Havens is an assistant professor at the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a member of the ANA and APHA.;Ingrid Swenson is an associate professor at the School of Nursing and a fellow in the Carolina Population Center of the University of North Carolina. She is a member of the ANA, APHA, and Population Association of America. |
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Abstract: | Seventy-four 8th- and 10th-grade students attending a private girls' school in Hawaii were queried about their perceptions of and preparation for menstruation using a questionnaire administered in a health education class. Eighty percent had already started menstruating. The most frequently cited perceptions by the respondents referred to both the inconveniences and the normalcy of menstruation. Many were first informed about menstruation by their mothers and stated that they also first informed their mothers when they started menstruating. Surprise, fear, and embarrassment were common initial reactions, while strong negative or positive emotions were more rare. Only 35% wanted boys and girls together during class discussion, but 89% stated that boys needed to be informed about menstruation. The most frequent reasons cited for noncoed settings were the girls' concern about their comfort in openly discussing menstruation. Thirty-eight percent thought parents should inform other siblings when they started menstruation, although almost half gave specific conditions the parents should consider. The majority thought the fifth to sixth grades were the best times to introduce menstruation content. |
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