Shearman, Sachiyo MPun, Insha2023-06-052024-05-012023-052023-04-27May 2023http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12875Menstruation is a crucial event for over half of the people in the world. Young people report being ignored, confused, stressed, embarrassed, and stigmatized during their early menstrual conversation (EMC). The strained EMC impacts menstruators' physical, and psychological health, social participation, and education. Young men find it difficult to relate to women and enforce sexist attitudes. The current study examined American youth's experiences of EMC and its impact on stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes towards menstruation (BATM). The study also explored their suggestions to improve future menstrual education sessions in schools. Young adults' early menstrual conversation and attitudes toward menstruation were examined, drawing from Goffman's stigma theory. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to survey the attitudes and experiences of young adults (n=368) in the US. Self-administered survey questionnaires were distributed through Qualtrics. EMC was measured using a 10-item semantic differential scale. Menstrual stigma was assessed using an adapted 45-item BATM scale with five sub-scales such as annoyance, secrecy, prescription and proscription, disability, and pleasant. A linear regression analysis was performed to examine the association between EMC and their attitudes toward menstruation. The model explained 8% variance in the annoyance sub-scale with predictors F (8) = 3.541, R2= .081; 21% variance in the secrecy sub-scale with predictors F(8) = 10.949, R2 = .211; 24.7% variance in the prescription and prescription, F (8) = 13.404, R2 = .247; and 10% variance in the pleasant sub-scale with predictors F (8) = 4.615, R2 = .101. Participants who had their EMC with a smaller number of people older than themselves considered menstruation annoying. Those with negative emotional perception of EMC were more likely to agree that menstruation was annoying and be kept secret. Those who discussed more negative topics in their EMC, who engaged in menstrual conversation later in their life, and those who interacted with a smaller number of peers were more likely to endorse menstrual restrictions. Participants' suggestions to improve EMC in schools include having co-ed menstrual education session, with an emphasis on the biology of menstruation, and satisfying curiosities about menstrual taboos and myths. They recommend the combined use of lectures, demonstrations, and participatory activities such as games, storytelling, and use of videos, documentaries, and film clips. Thus, to start creating a positive cultural change around menstruation and reducing the stigma around it, teenagers should have positive EMC experiences. To ensure positive EMC, we recommend that menstrual topics be introduced to adolescents early, in a predictable manner, making them feel relaxed and confident, creating a space to ask and listen to the experiences of multiple same-age peers and non-peers including family members and teachers.application/pdfenAttitudes Towards MenstruationMenstrual EducationGender DifferenceEarly Menstrual CommunicationStigmaMenstruation--United StatesYouth--Health and hygiene--United States-- AttitudesMaster's Thesis2023-06-02