Improving Menstrual Health throughout the Reproductive Life Course

The natural biological occurrence of menstruation occurs among half of the world’s population, yet the experience of those who menstruate is not commonly discussed. Challenges related to menstruation include stigma and shame around menstruation, access to menstrual health services, the invisibility of menstrual pain, management of menstrual flow, lack of menstrual education, the menstrual experiences of trans and non-binary people, period poverty, and early menopause among other issues. Current conversations and education around menstruation are inadequate and do not address the root cause of menstrual marginalization: shame and stigma that is deeply ingrained in our shared cultural experience from myriad sources. This Special Collection seeks to address this entrenched stigma by highlighting research conducted in a variety of disciplines, among diverse groups in a variety of cultural traditions, and throughout the reproductive life course. Improving Menstrual Health throughout the Reproductive Life Course This talk will provide an introduction to the speakers on the panel and their research in the areas of menstrual product absorbency among people with bleeding disorders, menstruation in carceral settings, and the menstrual health needs of people in the post partum setting. While each of these is talks differs in setting for menstrual health research what they have in common is the lack of visibility for menstruation among these communities. Navigating Carcerality and Menstrual Health: A Feminist Critique Menstruators experiencing incarceration face unique challenges when accessing menstrual health and managing their menses. While research has identified healthcare shortcomings in the carceral setting, period poverty behind bars has remained largely absent from the criminal legal discourse. This research uses qualitative methods to explore the novel concept of menstrual victimization, defined as the physical, emotional, and financial victimization that results from period poverty perpetuated through carceral control. Guided by a radical feminist framework, findings shed light on the unique structural harms menstruators who are incarcerated face and reveal the dearth of needed empirical research on period poverty in carceral spaces. Potential outcomes associated with understanding menstrual victimization in the carceral setting are discussed, including reducing menstrual stigma, disseminating health education, minimizing health disparities, increasing social bonds with children, and ultimately reducing recidivism by enhancing the reentry process. Postpartum Menstrual Equity Despite the universal nature of postpartum vaginal bleeding after childbirth and the importance of managing vaginal bleeding in the postpartum period to monitor health status, little is known about the information or products that birthing individuals are provided. Following IRB approval and in coordination with clinicians at a tertiary hospital in the southeastern United States, data were collected with 15 families from August through December 2020. A multidisciplinary team coded video and audio data from each family from 12 hours before hospital discharge. This analysis evaluates patterns of vaginal bleeding counseling timing, content, and language concordance and thematic content of this communication. Findings suggest that there are opportunities to strengthen clinical practices for more consistent, proactive, and language concordant vaginal bleeding and subsequent menstrual care postpartum. Investigating current practices may offer insights to enacting more supportive and equitable postpartum care and ensuring postpartum menstrual equity.