Menstrual health: research, policy and action in the UK context

Full text

Menstrualhealth:Research,policyandactionintheUKcontext
DrCathieKansiime
MedicalResearchCouncil(Uganda)
LSHTM
DrDaniBarrington
UniversityofLeeds
UniversityofQueensland
@dani_barrington
DrEmilyWilson
IriseInternational
SheffieldUniversity
@irise_int
Photo:EveningStandard

Howwedevelopedthisoverview
•Non‐LMICstudiesidentifiedintheHenneganetal.2019study
•ReachingouttoourMHnetworks
•ScouringthewebsitesofMHorganisationsidentifiedtobeworkingin
UKcontext
•ReviewingpaperspublishedbyresearchersworkingonMHintheUK
context
*Fulllistofstudiesavailableatendoftheslidedeck

TherehasbeenlotsofactionintheUK…

Increasingpolicyengagement

Andsomeresearch…

SimilaritiestoLMICs
•Womenhavebeenunderrepresentedinresearchandaction
•Therearesomewomenandgirlswhocan’tafford“somethingto
bleedon”– althoughthisisn’tthemajority
•Actionhasmainlyfocusedonproductprovisionandeducation
(primarilyofgirls)
•Weareseeingashiftnowtolookingatthewholesystem,particularly
asmenstrualhealthresearchhasbecomemoreinter‐sectoral
Manyoftheexperiencesofwomenandgirlsseemtobeuniversal

Networksofresearchersworkingontheissue
UnderstandinghowLMICfindingsare
relevanttoUKcontext
The Stopthetaboo:period Consortiumisaglobalgroupof
researcherandpractitionerswhoidentifythattheexperienceof
menstruationtranscendsgeopoliticalboundaries…Consortium
Memberscallfortheinterrogationanddismantlingofmenstrual
taboostoaccomplishuniversalsanitationandgenderequity

Myresearchfoundthatdespitelivingincompletelydifferent
societiesandcultures,girls’feelingsandexperiencesof
menstruationintheUKandUgandaareextremelysimilar.This
couldbeduetocommontaboos.Iconcludedmyresearch
withtheneedtothinkmoreholisticallyabouttackling
menstrualtaboosacrosscountrycontextstoensurewomen
andgirlsdonotfeelalone...Issuessurroundingmenstruation
arefarmorethanpracticalconcernsrelatingtoinadequate
toiletfacilitiesandaccesstoproducts.Stigmaandshamefeltby
womenduetotaboosisveryreal
ElizabethGoolden,UniversityofLeedsMA(GlobalDevelopment)Graduate
“Hiddenyetshared:aninvestigationintoexperiencesofthemenstrualtabooacrosshigherandlowerincomecontexts”
SupervisedbyDrLataNarayanswamy (Leeds)andDrEmilyWilson(IriseInternational)

Thepapers…werenotrestrictedtopurelyHICs[highincome
countries]orLMICs[low‐middleincomecountries]…the
strongestfactorlinkedwithdisposalwasidentifiedasthefear
ofexposinggirls’menstrualstatus.Thisfearwasthenbroken
downintothreestages:thefearofbeingteased/bulliedby
malepeersinthecommunity,thefearof‘becomingawoman’
andthefearofwitchcraftandinfertility.
HannahRobinson,UniversityofLeedsBEngGraduateandPhDCandidate
“Exposingyourmenstrualstatus:Thelinksbetweenmenstrualtaboosandsolidwastedisposal”
SupervisedbyDrDaniBarrington(Leeds)

Wheretonext?
IriseandUni ofLeedsconductingasystematicreviewof
studiesonMHexperiencesacrossallhighincomecountries:
•WhatcantheUKlearnfromotherHICs?
•HowdoresultsofqualitativeHICstudiescomparewith
Henneganetal.’srecentreviewinLMICs?
Understandingtheexperiencesofthosewhomenstruateis
thefirststep,butwereallydon’tknowwhatthebestaction
tothentakeis.Weneedanevidencebasetoinformus:
•Doproductprovision,education,painmanagement,
workplacemenstrualpoliciesandreducedstigmaimprove
thelivesofwomenandgirls?
•Whathaveweforgottenfromthatlist?
•Howdowegoaboutreducingstigma? Bobel2019,pg.297

Reviewslides

Studiesreviewed
•BreaktheBarriers:GirlsexperiencesofmenstruationintheUK(qualitative)
•PlanInternationalUKsurveys
•Anexplorationofmothers'attitudestowardstheirdaughters'menarche
•Menstrualsymptoms:theimportanceofsocialfactorsinwomen'sexperiences
•Recollectionsofmenarche:Communicationbetweenmothersanddaughtersregardingmenstruation
•Whataspectsofperiodsaremostbothersomeforwomenreportingheavy menstrual bleeding?Communitysurveyandqualitative study
•Women'smanagementofmenstrualsymptoms:Findingsfromapostalsurveyandqualitativeinterviews
•Aqualitativeinvestigationofwomen’sexperiencesoftheselfandothersinrelationtotheirmenstrualcycle
•Normalisingmenstruation,empoweringgirls
•AgeofmenarcheincontemporaryBritishteenagers:surveyofgirlsbornbetween1982and1986
•Menstruationandhumanisticmanagementatwork:thedevelopmentandimplementationofamenstrualworkplacepolicy
•Menstruationandpublictoilets

UKresearchersidentified(outsideGCRFNetwork)
•Bildhauer,Bettina
•Carnesky,Marisa
•Greed,Clara
•Hughes,Bee
•Liita Iyaloo Cairney
•Newton,Victoria
•Owen,Lara
•Purcell,Carrie
•Røstvik,Camilla
•Sang,Kate
•Standing,Kay
•Szabunia,Judith
•Warner,Pamela
•Williams,Gemma
•Zipp,Sarah

Organisationsidentified(throughnetworksand
Twittercall)
• #FreePeriods
• Binti International
• Blobcast Podcast
• Bloody Good Period
• Days for Girls
• Freedom for Girls
• Girlguiding
•Hey Girls UK
• Luna Nottingham
• Menstrual Matters
•NE Flow
• No More Taboo
• On The Ball
• Period Positive
• Period Project Merseyside
• Plan International UK
• Red Box Project
• Solace for She
• The Crimson Wave
• The Cup Effect
• The Free Period
• The Real Period Project
• Tricky Period Service (Norfolk City Council)
• UK National Governments
• Various Universities/university unions
• Women’s Environmental Network (Environmenstrual
campaign)