Applying communication privacy management principles to menstrual health disclosure in Northern India

It is well documented that menstruation-related communication in India is taboo and avoided (Pao, 2022). Expectations of cultural rules like avoiding specific topics are often established and reinforced within families. This study applies communication privacy management theory (Petronio, 2002) to understand college-going women's perspectives about menstruation-related communication. Twenty focus groups, conducted at two universities in Northern India (N = 180) investigated privacy rules concerning menstruation-related communication. Findings supported that women in Northern India continue to be hesitant to discuss menstruation due to the influence of socio-cultural norms but also identified instances of change and reinforcement of privacy rules in the culture. Participants described that although family members do not talk about menstruation, some, but not all family members are aware of menstruation status. Participants described how mothers explicitly instructed them to avoid talking about menstruation, particularly to and around men and boys. However, participants shared that they should not discuss menstruation with younger sisters or cousins. When referencing menstruation, women used coded language. Finally, some participants described instances that increased their comfort and ability to discuss menstruation with male family members. The discussion addresses practical and theoretical implications.