"You have to be clean:" a qualitative study of pubic hair grooming behaviours among women living in Italy.

The majority of pubic hair and genital self-image research describes women living in the USA, UK and Australia. This may leave attitudes and behaviours across other cultures and geographic regions ambiguous. The purpose of this study was to describe pubic hair removal attitudes and behaviours among reproductive-age women living in Italy. Individual interviews were conducted with 46 women aged 18-45 years between June and July 2017, living in Florence, Italy and currently utilising the Italian healthcare system. Pubic hair removal was popular among participants. Women mainly removed pubic hair by waxing. Sexual partners influenced removal, as did cultural norms and the desire for cleanliness. Most participants indicated pubic hair removal onset during adolescence, often upon puberty. However, most participants had never discussed removal complications with providers. Pubic hair removal often related to a more positive genital self-image because of social norms surrounding hairlessness. Removal among this sample appears to differ from the literature in other contexts, with women living in Italy engaging in more frequent and earlier waxing. Findings offer opportunities for clinicians to proactively address safe pubic hair practices and women's genital concerns during consultations.

"My mama told me it would happen": menarche and menstruation experiences across generations.

The purpose of this study was to understand women's menarche and menstruation-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors across generations. Women ages 18 years and older (Mean = 49.13 ± 14.76 years; Range = 19-78 years) living in South Carolina were recruited to participate in semi-structured interviews during May-November 2016. A total of 70 interviews were conducted, which were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis using open and axial coding techniques from grounded theory provided the framework for data interpretation. Women described vivid menarche memories; however, most women had not received proper education or preparation for what to expect prior to onset. Participants discussed their experiences with menstrual products, oral contraceptives, and medical procedures to suppress, manipulate, or manage menstruation. Findings provide practical recommendations for health professionals to develop further effective and timely messaging related to menarche and menstruation across the lifespan. Messaging should inform women about what to expect with menarche, menstruation management, and health-related impacts, as well as methods to reduce menses-related myths and stigmas.

'It's just a very personal thing': contraceptive influences and decision making among women living in Italy.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess contraceptive knowledge, perceptions and experiences among reproductive-aged women in Italy. Methods: As part of a larger mixed-methods study, researchers conducted 46 interviews (June-July 2017) with English-speaking women aged 18-45 living in or near Florence, Italy, who were using the Italian health care system. Researchers used grounded theory to explore women's contraceptive decision making and use. HyperRESEARCH software was used to aid data organisation and analysis. Researchers used a comparative method to contextualise data and identify emergent themes. Results: Participants illuminated knowledge gaps and misinformation about the efficacy and long-term health effects of hormonal contraceptive methods. Family, friends and health care providers influenced their contraceptive choices. Local family planning clinics (consultori) were cited as primary sources of contraceptive information, resources and access. Conclusion: Misinformation may contribute to the underuse of effective hormonal contraception in Italy. The study findings can inform practical recommendations to improve the dissemination of contraceptive information. Improved messaging strategies could address contraceptive concerns (e.g., hormonal effects) and knowledge gaps, which may improve hormonal contraceptive uptake.

Understanding women's postpartum sexual experiences.

This study aimed to understand women's sexual health experiences, specifically knowledge, attitudes and norms related to sexual behaviour resumption during the postpartum period. Semi-structured, reproductive health-focused interviews (N = 70) were conducted among women aged 18 years or older (range: 19-78) residing in South Carolina. Findings demonstrated that women identified clinicians as most influential concerning when they should and could resume sexual activity. Some women noted returning to sex earlier than anticipated due to personal and partner desire and indicated achieving considerable sexual satisfaction during the postpartum period. However, other participants noted difficulties resuming sexual activity, including pain and exhaustion from caring for a new baby. Findings provide practical recommendations for health professionals to further develop tailored, timely health messaging related to safe and healthy postpartum sexual behaviours. We discuss recommendations for health professionals to bring further awareness to varied postpartum sexual experiences.