ArticleBMJ open2026
Defined by blood: lived experiences of menstrual health through the lifecourse among women in Zimbabwe - a qualitative study.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMenstrual health (MH) is vital to women's overall health and well-being. Yet many women, especially in resource-limited settings, face challenges due to insufficient resources and support. Most MH research has focused on school-going adolescents while limited research has investigated MH experiences across the lifecourse. This study aims to understand menstrual experiences across women's lifecourse in Zimbabwe, including MH-related pain and discomfort and women's MH-related healthcare seeking behaviours.
methodsFrom February to April 2024, we conducted eight participatory workshops in Harare and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe with a total of 53 women aged over 18 years. Workshops aimed to explore lived experiences of MH and included participatory collage activities. We conducted thematic and visual analyses of the workshops and participant collages to explore participants' MH perceptions and lived experiences.
resultsMenstruation was seen as a central signifier of fertility and embodiment of womanhood. Women of all ages had limited access to education and support for menstrual-related issues (particularly menarche and menopause). Stigma and ill-informed healthcare providers were key barriers to menstrual-related healthcare and treatment. Women reported using alternative methods, including traditional herbs, while younger women, in particular, turned to online platforms to address menstrual-related issues.
conclusionsMH is central to women's identity, health and well-being across the lifecourse. Persistent stigma, inadequate support and limited healthcare, especially during transitions such as menopause, highlight the need for inclusive policies and programming and adequately trained providers. Further research into digital and community-based MH approaches that empower women to navigate stigma and access care independently is also needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.