“They had the lunch lady coming up to assist”: The experiences of menarche and menstrual management for adolescents with physical disabilities

• Published in: Disability and health journal 2023-10, Vol.16 (4), p.101510-101510, Article 101510
• Main Authors: Streur, Courtney S., Kreschmer, Jodi M., Ernst, Susan D., Quint, Elisabeth H., Rosen, Monica W., Wittmann, Daniela, Kalpakjian, Claire Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescence; Adolescent; Cerebral palsy; Disability; Disabled Persons; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Lunch; Menarche - psychology; Menstruation; Menstruation - psychology; Spina bifida
• ISSN: 1936-6574; 1876-7583; 1876-7583
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2023.101510

Menarche is a pivotal time in an adolescent's life but can be experienced differently by those with physical disabilities. Parents typically serve as the primary educators and support for their daughters during this time. Little is known about the parent's perspective of their daughter's experience preparing for menarche and learning to manage menses. We sought to understand the parent's perspective of the experience of their daughter with a physical disability around menarche and their preferences for health care provider support. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 parents of a daughter with a physical disability ages 7–26. Interviews were coded by 2 reviewers using Grounded Theory, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Six themes emerged regarding the parent's perception of the experiences, including 1) variation in emotional responses to menarche, 2) parent's perception of their daughter's experience with menses and menstrual symptoms, 3) cross-section of disability and menstrual management, 4) menstrual management at school, 5) parental knowledge correlating to daughter's preparation for menarche, and 6) desires for health care provider support. All parents reported that their daughters faced challenges during menarche, ranging from emotional distress to dealing with the inaccessibility of hygiene products. Managing periods at schools was particularly burdensome. Parents who were better educated about what to expect were better able to prepare their daughters, but had difficulties finding informed, supportive providers. Health care providers should provide both anticipatory guidance and holistic, respectful, and equitable options for the management of menstrual symptoms.