Academic Researcher, Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Said Khoury Building for Development Studies, P.O.Box 14, Birzeit, occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
PhD candidate, Department of Community Medicine and Global Health, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo, Blindern, PB 1130, 0318 Oslo, Norway.
Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2022 Dec;30(1):2111793. doi: 10.1080/26410397.2022.2111793.
Menstrual health is important for adolescent girls and is particularly compromised in displaced communities due to restricted access to information and lack of private spaces to manage menstruation. Menarche is the biological and social milestone of girls' adolescence, marking the onset of puberty and confirming womanhood in many communities. It also marks a difficult transitional period influenced by socio-cultural beliefs and expectations. Menstrual preparedness is critical for this transition, and the lack of accurate, timely, age-appropriate information might impact current, and future reproductive health and well-being. This paper investigates the menstrual preparedness status of adolescents living in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank and Jordan. These are long-term refugee camps characterised by a variety of social, economic, and political constraints affecting the health of women and girls. We conducted 39 in-depth interviews and 23 focus-group discussions with adolescent girls. The study reveals inadequate menstrual preparedness among the participants, especially in pre-menarche. Among the barriers to adequate menstrual preparedness is a predominance of practical concerns, such as the use of sanitary pads and hygienic practices, socio-cultural norms that promote secrecy and taboo around menstruation, and divergent notions of timeliness of information among girls, their mothers, and teachers. The study contends that addressing the taboo around menstruation requires joint efforts by the family, school, and social services. Menstrual preparedness should begin early and encompass biological, practical, emotional, and psychological components. The paper advocates for Comprehensive, Contextually Relevant, Timely Menstrual Preparedness (CCTMP) policies and initiatives, empowering adolescent girls, their mothers, and educators.
经期健康对少女非常重要，但在流离失所的社区中，由于信息获取受限以及缺乏私人空间来管理经期，这一问题尤为突出。初潮是女孩青春期的生物学和社会里程碑，标志着青春期的开始，并在许多社区确认了女性身份。它也标志着一个受社会文化信仰和期望影响的困难过渡时期。经期准备对于这一过渡至关重要，缺乏准确、及时、适合年龄的信息可能会影响当前和未来的生殖健康和福祉。本文调查了生活在约旦河西岸和巴勒斯坦难民营中的少女的经期准备状况。这些难民营长期存在，各种社会、经济和政治限制影响着妇女和女孩的健康。我们对 39 名少女进行了深入访谈和 23 次焦点小组讨论。研究表明，参与者的经期准备不足，尤其是在初潮前。经期准备不足的障碍包括实际问题突出，如卫生棉条的使用和卫生习惯、促进经期秘密和禁忌的社会文化规范，以及女孩、其母亲和教师之间对信息及时性的不同观念。研究认为，要解决经期禁忌问题，需要家庭、学校和社会服务部门共同努力。经期准备应尽早开始，涵盖生理、实践、情感和心理等方面。本文主张采取全面、相关、及时的经期准备政策和倡议，赋予少女、其母亲和教育工作者权力。
