'We Keep It Secret So No One Should Know' - A Qualitative Study to Explore Young Schoolgirls Attitudes and Experiences with Menstruation in Rural Western Kenya
'We Keep It Secret So No One Should Know' - A Qualitative Study to Explore Young Schoolgirls Attitudes and Experiences with Menstruation in Rural Western Kenya
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0079132
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发表时间：
2013-11-14
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Phillips-Howard, Penelope A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Mason, Linda;Nyothach, Elizabeth;Phillips-Howard, Penelope A.
背景资料：让女孩继续上学可以保护她们免受早婚、少女怀孕和性伤害，并加强社会和经济平等。研究报告说，月经加剧了辍学和出勤率低，尽管证据很少。本研究定性探讨青春期女学生的月经experiences of young adolescent schoolgirls.Methods and Findings：这项研究进行了锡亚亚县在肯尼亚西部农村。120名年龄在14-16岁之间的女孩参加了11次重点小组讨论，并按主题进行了分析。收集的数据得到了来自六个家庭发展机构与家长和社区成员的信息的补充。紧急主题是：对初潮缺乏准备;成熟和性脆弱;月经是一种疾病;对泄漏的秘密、恐惧和羞耻;应对不适当的替代品;用性来支付护垫;以及月经卫生问题。女孩没有做好准备，表现出生殖知识贫乏，但往往独自设计实用的方法来科普月经困难。家长和学校对月经需求的支持有限，而且信息稀缺或不准确。女孩的身体变化促使男孩和成年人将女孩作为目标，并将其视为可以进行性活动，包括胁迫和结婚的成熟女孩。被“他人”而不是自己录取的女孩在月经期间因身体症状或卫生保护不足而缺课。他们描述了由于害怕气味和泄漏以及随后的戏弄而难以参与课堂的情况。卫生巾受到重视，但资源和时间限制导致长时间使用，造成皮肤擦伤。临时的替代品，包括破布和草，容易泄漏，引起疼痛，并被认为是有害的。女孩报告的“其他女孩”，但不是自己参与交易性购买垫，并收到垫从boyfriends.Conclusions：在没有父母和学校的支持，女孩科普，有时独自一人，月经初潮在实际中，有时危险的方式。需要在一揽子措施中纳入情感和身体支持机制，使少女能够发挥其潜力。
Background: Keeping girls in school offers them protection against early marriage, teen pregnancy, and sexual harms, and enhances social and economic equity. Studies report menstruation exacerbates school-drop out and poor attendance, although evidence is sparse. This study qualitatively examines the menstrual experiences of young adolescent schoolgirls.Methods and Findings: The study was conducted in Siaya County in rural western Kenya. A sample of 120 girls aged 14-16 years took part in 11 focus group discussions, which were analysed thematically. The data gathered were supplemented by information from six FGDs with parents and community members. Emergent themes were: lack of preparation for menarche; maturation and sexual vulnerability; menstruation as an illness; secrecy, fear and shame of leaking; coping with inadequate alternatives; paying for pads with sex; and problems with menstrual hygiene. Girls were unprepared and demonstrated poor reproductive knowledge, but devised practical methods to cope with menstrual difficulties, often alone. Parental and school support of menstrual needs is limited, and information sparse or inaccurate. Girls' physical changes prompt boys and adults to target and brand girls as ripe for sexual activity including coercion and marriage. Girls admitted 'others' rather than themselves were absent from school during menstruation, due to physical symptoms or inadequate sanitary protection. They described difficulties engaging in class, due to fear of smelling and leakage, and subsequent teasing. Sanitary pads were valued but resource and time constraints result in prolonged use causing chafing. Improvised alternatives, including rags and grass, were prone to leak, caused soreness, and were perceived as harmful. Girls reported 'other girls' but not themselves participated in transactional sex to buy pads, and received pads from boyfriends.Conclusions: In the absence of parental and school support, girls cope, sometimes alone, with menarche in practical and sometimes hazardous ways. Emotional and physical support mechanisms need to be included within a package of measures to enable adolescent girls to reach their potential.