Seeking and encountering online information for menstrual health: a qualitative study among adolescent schoolgirls in Gianyar Regency and Denpasar City, Bali, Indonesia.

Sufficient and accurate information is a requirement for menstrual health and supports adolescents in realising their human rights. As mobile connectivity increases globally, many young people may seek or encounter menstrual health information online through web-based platforms, social media, or health apps. Despite the relevance of online information, menstrual health research and programming have focused on formal and school-based learning.

Menstrual cup acceptability and functionality in real-world use: A cross-sectional survey of young people in Australia.

Background: Menstrual cups offer a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable product for many young people. While clinical trials have shown their safety and effectiveness, no studies have investigated their performance in real-world use.

Aims: To describe the acceptability and functionality (continuation, discomforts, leakage, and adverse events) of menstrual cups and investigate the supportive role of product knowledge.

Promoting menstrual health and hygiene-insights from the 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration events in the Hohoe municipality in Ghana.

The 2023 World Menstrual Hygiene Day (WMHD) celebration at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) sought to create awareness about menstruation. Toward normalizing menstruation, the 3-day event brought together key stakeholders and engaged community members on various topics relating to menstruation. Among the stakeholders were basic school teachers (13), school children (155), in a 2:1 female vs.

Menstrual Practice Needs Scale short form (MPNS-SF) and rapid (MPNS-R): development in Khulna, Bangladesh, and validation in cross-sectional surveys from Bangladesh and Uganda.

Objectives: Develop and validate short and rapid forms of the 36-item Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36).

Design: Item reduction prioritised content validity and was informed by cognitive interviews with schoolgirls in Bangladesh, performance of scale items in past research and stakeholder feedback. The original MPNS-36 was revalidated, and short and rapid forms tested in a cross-sectional survey.

Protocol for the Adolescent Menstrual Experiences and Health Cohort (AMEHC) Study in Khulna, Bangladesh: A Prospective cohort to quantify the influence of menstrual health on adolescent girls' health and education outcomes.

Background: Menstrual health is essential for gender equity and the well-being of women and girls. Qualitative research has described the burden of poor menstrual health on health and education; however, these impacts have not been quantified, curtailing investment. The Adolescent Menstrual Experiences and Health Cohort (AMEHC) Study aims to describe menstrual health and its trajectories across adolescence, and quantify the relationships between menstrual health and girls' health and education in Khulna, Bangladesh.

From 'Pen Sao' to 'Tue Pa': Understanding diverse pathways to adolescent pregnancy in Lao People's Democratic Republic through qualitative investigation with girls in Vientiane Capital, Vientiane Province, and Luang Namtha.

Adolescent birth rates in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) remain the highest in Southeast Asia. There is growing recognition that adolescent pregnancy in Lao PDR is occurring within and outside marriage, but there is a lack of robust qualitative evidence to understand girls' pathways to adolescent pregnancy and contributing factors, especially outside of union (cohabitation or marriage). This study aimed to improve understanding of pathways to adolescent pregnancy in Lao PDR among girls who experienced pregnancy at age 18 or below.

Systematic review of the effectiveness of menstrual health interventions in low- and middle-income countries in the East Asia and Pacific region.

Background: In the context of rapidly expanding policy and practice, this systematic review collates and appraises evidence for the effectiveness of menstrual health interventions in the East Asia and Pacific region.

Methods: Structured searches were undertaken in 7 databases and Google Scholar. Grey literature was identified through searching and survey of stakeholders.

Research priorities for improving menstrual health across the life-course in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Research on menstrual health is required to understand menstrual needs and generate solutions to improve health, wellbeing, and productivity. The identification of research priorities will help inform where to invest efforts and resources.

Objectives: To identify research priorities for menstrual health across the life-course, in consultation with a range of stakeholder groups from a variety of geographic regions, and to identify if menstrual health research priorities varied by expertise.

Contemporary pathways to adolescent pregnancy in Indonesia: A qualitative investigation with adolescent girls in West Java and Central Sulawesi.

In the last decade, reduction in adolescent fertility rates in Indonesia has slowed despite national programmes and policies focused on addressing child marriage. Indonesia currently has the highest number of births to adolescent girls aged 15-19 years in Southeast Asia. There is a need to develop a more nuanced understanding of the drivers of adolescent pregnancy in Indonesia to inform programmes and policies tailored to young people's needs and priorities.

Indicators for National and Global Monitoring of Girls' Menstrual Health and Hygiene: Development of a Priority Shortlist.

Purpose: Despite the importance of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) for adolescent girls' health, education, and gender equality, few countries monitor MHH. MHH needs remain underprioritized, and progress achieved through policies, programs, or investments go unmeasured. This article reports the systematic development of an indicator shortlist to monitor adolescent girls' MHH at the national and global levels across low- and middle-income countries.

The association between menstrual hygiene, workplace sanitation practices and self-reported urogenital symptoms in a cross-sectional survey of women working in Mukono District, Uganda.

Background: Women worldwide experience challenges managing their periods. Menstrual and genital hygiene behaviours have been linked to negative health outcomes, including urogenital symptoms and confirmed infections. However, evidence testing this association has been limited and mixed.

Menstrual health challenges in the workplace and consequences for women's work and wellbeing: A cross-sectional survey in Mukono, Uganda.

This study describes women's menstrual health needs at work in Uganda and explores the associations between unmet needs and women's work and wellbeing. We undertook a cross-sectional survey of women working in marketplaces, public primary schools, and health care facilities in Mukono district, central Uganda. Survey questions were designed to capture women's experiences of managing menstrual bleeding, pain, social support, and the social environment.

Reusable period products: use and perceptions among young people in Victoria, Australia.

Background: Reusable menstrual products have expanded the choices available for menstrual care and can offer long-term cost and environmental benefits. Yet, in high-income settings, efforts to support period product access focus on disposable products. There is limited research to understand young people's product use and preferences in Australia.

Adolescent girls' experiences of menstruation and schooling in monastic schools in Magway Region, Myanmar: A mixed-methods exploration.

Background: Despite increasing recognition that menstruation matters for adolescent girls' health and education, few studies have investigated menstrual health challenges and impacts in Myanmar. In this study we aimed to (1) understand the menstrual experiences of girls attending monastic schools in Magway Region, Myanmar and (2) explore the associations between their reported unmet menstrual health needs and school absenteeism.

Methods: We undertook a mixed-methods exploration across 16 Monastic schools in rural and semi-rural areas.

Puberty health intervention to improve menstrual health and school attendance among adolescent girls in The Gambia: study methodology of a cluster-randomised controlled trial in rural Gambia (MEGAMBO TRIAL).

Background: Menstrual health (MH) is a recognised global public health challenge. Poor MH may lead to absence from school and work, and adverse health outcomes. However, reviews suggest a lack of rigorous evidence for the effectiveness of MH interventions on health and education outcomes.

Revalidation and adaptation of the Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS) in a cross-sectional survey to measure the menstrual experiences of adult women working in Mukono District, Uganda.

Objectives: The Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS) is a comprehensive measure of menstrual self-care experience including access to sufficient, comfortable materials to catch or absorb bleeding, supportive spaces for managing menstruation and for disposal and laundering of used materials. It addresses a critical measurement gap to improve quantitative menstrual health research and programme evaluation. The scale was validated in a population of adolescent schoolgirls.

Global research and learning agenda for building evidence on contraceptive-induced menstrual changes for research, product development, policies, and programs.

: Contraceptive-induced menstrual changes (CIMCs) can affect family planning (FP) users' lives in both positive and negative ways, resulting in both opportunities and consequences. Despite this, and despite the important links between FP and menstrual health (MH), neither field adequately addresses CIMCs, including in research, product development, policies, and programs globally. : In November 2020, a convening of both MH and FP experts reviewed the existing evidence on CIMCs and identified significant gaps in key areas.

Monitoring Menstrual Health Knowledge: Awareness of Menstruation at Menarche as an Indicator.

As initiatives to support menstrual health are implemented globally, monitoring progress through a set of comprehensive indicators provides important feedback to direct policies and programs. One proposed core indicator is awareness of menstruation at menarche. That is, at the time of menarche an adolescent girl knowing that menstrual bleeding is something she will experience.

Key recommendations to strengthen public-private partnership for adolescent health in resource constrained settings: Formative qualitative inquiry in Mongolia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Background: Public health services can be inaccessible for adolescents. The private sector provides many services, but often in parallel to the public sector. This study aimed to understand current private sector engagement in adolescent health service delivery and develop recommendations to strengthen partnerships.

Response strategies for promoting gender equality in public health emergencies: a rapid scoping review.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to widen existing gender inequities worldwide. A growing body of literature assesses the harmful consequences of public health emergencies (PHEs) for women and girls; however, evidence of what works to alleviate such impacts is limited. To inform viable mitigation strategies, we reviewed the evidence on gender-based interventions implemented in PHEs, including disease outbreaks and natural disasters.

Experiences of menstruation in high income countries: A systematic review, qualitative evidence synthesis and comparison to low- and middle-income countries.

Background: There is growing recognition of the importance of menstruation in achieving health, education, and gender equality for all. New policies in high income countries (HICs) have responded to anecdotal evidence that many struggle to meet their menstrual health needs. Qualitative research has explored lived experiences of menstruating in HICs and can contribute to designing intervention approaches.

How addressing menstrual health and hygiene may enable progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.

There is increasing global attention to the importance of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) for the lives of those who menstruate and gender equality. Yet, the global development community, which focuses on issues ranging from gender to climate change to health, is overdue to draw attention to how addressing MHH may enable progress in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To address this gap, we undertook a collective exercise to hypothesize the linkages between MHH and the 17 SDGs, and to identify how MHH contributes to priority outcome measures within key sectoral areas of relevance to menstruating girls in low- and middle-income countries.

School and work absenteeism due to menstruation in three West African countries: findings from PMA2020 surveys.

Reports of school and work absences due to unmet menstrual needs have prompted increased attention to menstruation in policy and practice. However, there appear to be few quantitative studies reported in published literature capturing the prevalence of this hypothesised absenteeism. This study undertook secondary analysis of nationally representative Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 (PMA2020) data from Burkina Faso and Nigeria, and city-representative data from Niamey, Niger to determine the extent of women's and girls' self-reported absence from school and work due to menstruation.

Enablers and barriers to primary healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents: study protocol for participatory mixed-methods research that builds on WHO global standards.

Introduction: One-third of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population are adolescents. Recent data highlight their health needs are substantial and poorly met by existing services. To design effective models of primary healthcare, we need to understand the enablers and barriers to care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents, the focus of this study.

Menstrual health: a definition for policy, practice, and research.

The term "menstrual health" has seen increased use across advocacy, programming, policy, and research, but has lacked a consistent, self-contained definition. As a rapidly growing field of research and practice a comprehensive definition is needed to (1) ensure menstrual health is prioritised as a unified objective in global health, development, national policy, and funding frameworks, (2) elucidate the breadth of menstrual health, even where different needs may be prioritised in different sectors, and (3) facilitate a shared vocabulary through which stakeholders can communicate across silos to share learning. To achieve these aims, we present a definition of menstrual health developed by the Terminology Action Group of the Global Menstrual Collective.