Qualitative Health Research
Volume 27, Issue 10, 2017, Pages 1473-1490

Experiences and Constructions of Menarche and Menstruation among Migrant and Refugee Women (Article)

Hawkey A.J.* , Ussher J.M. , Perz J. , Metusela C.
  • a Centre for Health Research, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
  • b Centre for Health Research, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
  • c Centre for Health Research, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
  • d Centre for Health Research, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia

Abstract

Experiences and constructions of menarche and menstruation are shaped by the sociocultural environment in which women are embedded. We explored experiences and constructions of menarche and menstruation among migrant and refugee women resettled in Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada. Seventy-eight semistructured individual interviews and 15 focus groups comprised of 82 participants were undertaken with women from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and varying South American countries. We analyzed the data using thematic decomposition, identifying the overall theme "cycles of shame" and two core themes. In "becoming a woman," participants constructed menarche as a marker of womanhood, closely linked to marriage and childbearing. In "the unspeakable," women conveyed negative constructions of menstruation, positioning it as shameful, something to be concealed, and polluting. Identifying migrant and refugee women's experiences and constructions of menarche and menstruation is essential for culturally safe medical practice, health promotion, and health education. © SAGE Publications.

Author Keywords

Australia sexuality/sexual health Women's health Health promotion health care, transcultural focus groups Refugees interviews, semistructured thematic decomposition research cross-language research, qualitative Canada Reproduction qualitative

Index Keywords

information processing Afghanistan refugee Australia human Refugees menstruation Iraq qualitative research Sri Lanka Young Adult Humans psychology Adolescent Canada female South America Social Stigma South Sudan Shame adult migration Somalia Menarche Transients and Migrants Focus Groups Sudan
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85025452241&doi=10.1177%2f1049732316672639&partnerID=40&md5=288db9854433e2958280b0ffcca14102
DOI: 10.1177/1049732316672639
ISSN: 10497323
Cited by: 16
Original Language: English