{
  "abstract": "Background Menstrual 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.Methods From 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.Results Menstruation 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.Conclusions MH 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.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe",
        "Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Mandikudza Tembo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "International Statistics and Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Helen A. Weiss"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe"
      ],
      "name": "Portia Nzombe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe"
      ],
      "name": "Chipo A. Nyamayaro"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe"
      ],
      "name": "Fadzai Hove"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe"
      ],
      "name": "Faith R. Kandiye"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe"
      ],
      "name": "Ethel Dauya"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe",
        "Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Rashida A. Ferrand"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Biomedical Research and Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe",
        "Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Constance R. S. Mackworth-Young"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Defined by blood: lived experiences of menstrual health through the lifecourse among women in Zimbabwe – a qualitative study",
  "uid": "80531314-fc20-54d6-a0e2-c0d5515de4e2"
}