Menarche among Brazilian women: memories of experiences

Abstract

Objective: to present women's experiences of menarche and related memories.

Design: qualitative study using focus groups for data collection.

Setting: the city of Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil.

Participants: 64 women aged 21-51 years, experiencing menstrual periods, with former or current sexual activity and no perceived infertility.

Methods: eight focus groups were carried out using a semi-structured guideline. Discussions were recorded with participants' consent, and transcribed and revised. Thematic content analysis was carried out using gender relations as the theoretical framework.

Findings: menarche was experienced as a passage from childhood to womanhood, associated with belonging to a new group and acquiring a new status in the family. The experiences of menarche were not always welcomed or expected, but were recalled as associated with body changes and awareness of sexual issues. The mother's behaviour and attitudes towards menarche were clearly seen as generators of strong and everlasting impressions, either in a positive or negative way. Memories related to the experience of menarche extended through their life, interfering with their relation with their own body, including their reproductive health.

Key conclusions: the way in which menarche is experienced may exert an impact on women's reproductive health, sexuality and lifestyle behaviours.

Implications for practice: the acknowledgement of menarche experiences can be useful to guide health-care providers towards more effective education of girls on sexual and reproductive health issues and better attention to women's needs.