Examining menstrual health experiences in Philadelphia, PA: A qualitative investigation.

BACKGROUND: While menstruation is a physiologic process, it remains highly stigmatized. Despite the sheer number of menstruators, menstruation is a highly individualized experience, with wide variation in duration, symptoms, and management. This wide variability lends itself to large disparities in access to menstruation management products and subsequently the lived experience of menstruators. OBJECTIVES: The research team sought to understand lived menstrual experiences, symptoms, management tactics, and commonly used and desired resources among 20 cisgendered women aged 18-45 years in Philadelphia. DESIGN: This project was a qualitative research study. METHODS: We used a collaborative, community-based participatory research approach with No More Secrets, a Philadelphia-based grassroots sexuality awareness and menstrual health hub. Semi-structured telephone interviews were used to gain insight into general menstruation-related experiences, communication, worries, and concerns, with subsequent thematic analysis via Key Words in Context approach. RESULTS: Four themes emerged following analysis: cycle characteristics, menstruation management, coping resources, and future resources. Participants largely spoke about their menses as a negative experience, asked for more comprehensive, verified sources of information and needed greater access to menstrual management supplies. CONCLUSION: Menstruation is a highly individualized experience with a large variety in knowledge, menstrual product use, and individual needs. Despite the individuality of menstruation, our community-based research shows that there is a dire need for interventions that promotes knowledge and access to menstrual care.

Using Our Strengths: Establishing a Community-Academic Partnership to Tackle Menstrual Health Concerns in Philadelphia.

BACKGROUND: Menstrual health is a secretive, stigmatized, and understudied topic in the United States. To begin addressing this stigma requires understanding menstrual communication patterns in the community; however, few studies have applied community-based participatory research to explore menstrual health stigma. OBJECTIVES: To describe the team and lessons learned building a community-academic partnership aimed to explore menstrual health stigma and communication in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Partnership: A menstrual health non-profit and a social-reproductive epidemiologist forged a community-academic partnership using a unique program that encourages partnerships between researchers and community organizations. LESSONS LEARNED: Three lessons are described: 1) take time to build trust, 2) be patient and respectful navigating challenges and unforeseen difficulties, and 3) ensure equitable distribution of project resources and benefits. CONCLUSIONS: Our partnership accomplished impactful work by acknowledging the unique resources, skills, and networks that each partner possessed.