Old Habits Die Hard: An Exploration of the Pressures of Social Norms on Menstrual Health Management (MHM) during Floods in Bangladesh

Abstract

Menstrual health is a crucial part of the broader health of people who menstruate. Therefore, it is imperative that menstrual health management (MHM) is well-defined, and its different facets are properly outlined to better understand how people maintain their menstrual health. A substantial portion of this is the social aspect of menstruating. Menstruation warrants a great deal of taboo, stigmatisation, secrecy and harmful perceptions worldwide. These may inhibit people who menstruate from seeking the things they need to manage their period safely and comfortably. This may become even more problematic during floods, as access to the necessary materials and facilities is scarcer, and people are already in a state of emergency. This study seeks to work out the ways in which social norms with regard to MHM function, and especially how they may contribute to challenges during floods in Khulna, Bangladesh. Using a sequential mixed methods research design, this study explores this in depth through interviews (N= 27) and breadth through surveys (N= 417). The results of this study indicate that social norms and perceptions could pose a serious constraint for people who menstruate, especially during floods. Such restrictive social norms, a persistent lack of material- and facilitatory aspects of MHM and frequent flooding of the region arguably add psychological pressure to menstruation and increase risk factors of intimate health problems. Social norms and perceptions can influence the pursuit of safe and comfortable MHM, but are often overlooked or ignored by researchers, policymakers, and aid workers. This study contributes to overcoming this blind spot by illuminating the inner mechanisms of menstrual management and understanding the social norms and perceptions and how they may restrict people who menstruate, particularly during floods.