“What are we doing here?”: Reflections on developing a transcultural “Road Map” for global menstrual hygiene management

Introduction: Globally, reproductive aged girls and women experience personal and social barriers to access the simplest of supplies or menstrual friendly hygiene facilities, exclusion from full participation, and even violation of their human rights, simply because they are experiencing the biological event of menstruation. In Malawi, Africa specifically, the management of menstruation is a challenge for girls and women. This paper examines the process of developing a menstrual hygiene friendly facilities tool for the Malawian context.Methods: Autobiographical narrative inquiry was used for this research. Chronological annals, personal communications, draft tool development documents, journals, text messages, photos, and mementos were used to co-construct an experiential narrative.Results: Four threads that shaped the process of this nursing research collaboration were identified through the creation of the narrative as follows: (1) feeling vulnerable, (2) our realization, (3) building collaborative relationships, and (4) revisiting the product of the research.Conclusions: Three implications for global transcultural nursing practice emerged from this research: (1) collaborative partnerships, (2) cultural adaptions of interventions, and (3) continuous learning and reflection. These implications can be used to guide future international nursing research.