“I Didn’t Tell Anyone Because I Was Very Afraid”: Girls’ Experiences of Menstruation in Contemporary Ethiopia
Open accessAbstract
Menstrual health is central to girls' wellbeing, and is connected to their rights to health, education, safety, non-discrimination, and autonomy. This article investigates girls' experiences of menstruation in present-day Ethiopia. Results, based on data collected from 120 girls in two regions, illustrate the challenges associated with menstruation, including menstrual taboos and cultural beliefs surrounding menstruation, myths about menstruation and sex, and restrictive social expectations related to marriage, and interpersonal interaction. These challenges diminish girls' health, education, safety, and autonomy, and in so doing, underscore the relevance of menstrual health to rights' agendas that seek to advance girls' wellbeing.
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Beliefs that menarche indicated sexual initiation prompted girls to hide their status for fear of punishment, reported in studies from Ethiopia, Ghana, and Mali.
“Beliefs that menarche indicated sexual initiation prompted girls to hide their status for fear of punishment, reported in studies from Ethiopia [89, 100], Ghana [88], and Mali [95].”
From Women’s and girls’ experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2019) · cites this paper as [89]
Girls expressed a strong desire for more practical information, including managing menses or pain relief.
“Girls expressed a strong desire for more practical information, including managing menses or pain relief”
From Women’s and girls’ experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2019) · cites this paper as [89]
Water scarcity altered behaviours where this resource was limited and was therefore conserved during washing absorbents or cleaning blood from hands or latrines.
“Water scarcity altered behaviours where this resource was limited and was therefore conserved during washing absorbents or cleaning blood from hands or latrines [88, 89, 100].”
From Women’s and girls’ experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis (2019) · cites this paper as [89]
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References 18 · Cited by 62
Research works printed but not linked: 17
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- Authors
- Smiles, D., Short, S. E., & Sommer, M.
- Affiliations
- Brown University (US)
- Columbia University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Smiles, Dana
- Venue
- Women s Reproductive Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-09-02
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 185-197
- ISSN
- 2329-3691 (ISSN-L)
- 2329-3713
- PMC
- PMC6482969
- OpenAlex
- W2775647929
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 12.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Women s Reproductive Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P2CHD041020)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Menstrual Health and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Hypothalamic control of reproductive hormones
- Keywords
- menstruation, menstrual health, menstrual taboos, marriage expectations, social expectations, women's education, girls' rights, Ethiopia
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