TY - JOUR
T1 - 'This is a natural process'
T2 - Managing menstrual stigma in Nepal
AU - Crawford, Mary
AU - Menger, Lauren M.
AU - Kaufman, Michelle R.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a Fulbright grant to the first author from the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars.
PY - 2014/4
Y1 - 2014/4
N2 - Menstrual stigma has been demonstrated in many societies. However, there is little research on menstrual attitudes in South Asia, despite religiously-based menstrual restrictions imposed on women. To understand menstrual stigma in this context, we conducted qualitative research with women in Nepal. Nepali Hinduism forbids menstruating women to enter a temple or kitchen, share a bed with a husband or touch a male relative. During menstruation, women are 'untouchable'. There has been virtually no research on how Nepali women make meaning of these practices. The current study employed focus groups and individual interviews to understand how some Nepali women experience menarche and menstrual stigma. We explored how women describe their experiences and the strategies they adopt to manage age-old stigma in a rapidly modernising society where they have multiple roles as workers, wives and mothers. Participants reported they experienced menarche with little preparation, which caused distress, and were subjected to ongoing stigmatisation as menstruating women. They described coping strategies to reduce the effects of this stigma. This study provides a unique perspective on coping with menstrual stigma in South Asia.
AB - Menstrual stigma has been demonstrated in many societies. However, there is little research on menstrual attitudes in South Asia, despite religiously-based menstrual restrictions imposed on women. To understand menstrual stigma in this context, we conducted qualitative research with women in Nepal. Nepali Hinduism forbids menstruating women to enter a temple or kitchen, share a bed with a husband or touch a male relative. During menstruation, women are 'untouchable'. There has been virtually no research on how Nepali women make meaning of these practices. The current study employed focus groups and individual interviews to understand how some Nepali women experience menarche and menstrual stigma. We explored how women describe their experiences and the strategies they adopt to manage age-old stigma in a rapidly modernising society where they have multiple roles as workers, wives and mothers. Participants reported they experienced menarche with little preparation, which caused distress, and were subjected to ongoing stigmatisation as menstruating women. They described coping strategies to reduce the effects of this stigma. This study provides a unique perspective on coping with menstrual stigma in South Asia.
KW - Nepal
KW - attitudes
KW - menarche
KW - menstruation
KW - stigma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84899451774&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84899451774&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13691058.2014.887147
DO - 10.1080/13691058.2014.887147
M3 - Article
C2 - 24697583
AN - SCOPUS:84899451774
SN - 1369-1058
VL - 16
SP - 426
EP - 439
JO - Culture, Health and Sexuality
JF - Culture, Health and Sexuality
IS - 4
ER -