Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39791446›Full record

ArticleJournal of adolescence2025

"Due to These Restrictions, Girls Think of Themselves as Nothing": A Qualitative and Quantitative Description of Menstrual Restrictions and Stigma Among Adolescent Girls Across Religious and Other Sociocultural Contexts.

Aisha S King, Kathleen J Sikkema, Jennifer Rubli, Britt DeVries, Emily M Cherenack

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of adolescence, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Aisha S KingDepartment of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6482-8988
Kathleen J SikkemaDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Jennifer RubliFemme International, Moshi, Tanzania.
Britt DeVriesDepartment of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
Emily M CherenackDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Funding

Syndemics, the microbiome, and mucosal inflammation involved in HIV acquisitionF32AI162229 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI CHERENACK, EMILY MELLISSA · 2021 to 2023
$211k
NIAID NIH HHS F32 AI162229This study was funded by internal funding at Duke University provided to Emily M. Cherenack by the Duke Global Health Institute, the Charles Lafitte Foundation Program for Research in Psychology, The Graduate School, and the Center for International and Global Studies. Emily M. Cherenack's work was also supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award number F32AI162229. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionGirls in Tanzania often experience menstrual restrictions (i.e., expectations about behaviors prohibited during menstruation) and menstrual stigma (i.e., negative attitudes toward people who menstruate). A better understanding of sociocultural contexts contributing to menstrual stigma and restrictions is needed.

methodsIn 2018, two conceptually linked quantitative and qualitative studies were conducted to describe menstrual restrictions and stigma among girls in Tanzania, examine how sociocultural contexts influence menstrual restrictions and stigma, and investigate the relationship between menstrual restrictions and stigma. A cross-sectional survey of 509 post-menarche girls from five schools assessed associations between religion, religion-based menstrual restrictions, and menstrual stigma while controlling for differences between schools. In-depth interviews with 10 adolescent girls and 10 adult key informants explored broader menstrual experiences. We analyzed themes pertaining to sociocultural contexts and other mechanisms that shape menstrual restrictions and stigma, their impacts on girls, and opportunities for intervention.

resultsIn the surveys, 52% of Christian girls and 76% of Muslim girls experienced religion-based menstrual restrictions. Some restrictions, such as prohibitions against praying during menstruation, were more common among Muslim girls, who also had higher menstrual stigma. Menstrual stigma differed by school. Although menstrual restrictions did not show an association with stigma in the surveys, interview participants described how menstrual restrictions contribute to stigma and indicated that religion, tribe, education, family support, and menstrual resources influence menstrual restrictions and stigma.

conclusionSociocultural contexts influence menstrual restrictions and stigma. Working with religious, school, and family leaders may provide opportunities to implement interventions to reduce menstrual stigma.

Indexed as

MenstruationSocial StigmaAdolescentCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIslamQualitative ResearchReligionSurveys and QuestionnairesTanzaniamenstruationpubertyreligionschoolstigmaTanzania

Identifiers

PMID39791446
PMCPMC12128905

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.