NARRATIVES ABOUT MENSTRUATION IN TURKEY: SELF-SHAME, SUPPRESSION AND SILENCE
Year 2022,
, 471 - 487, 30.10.2022
Esra Gedik
,
Ezgi Pehlivanlı
Abstract
In this study, we explore how women perceive menstruation in Turkey. The general discourse in Turkey defines menstruation as an adverse and even dirty biological process mainly described as “being ill” and/or making women unable to worship until becoming clean again. Experiences of menstruation also shape women’s identities to a certain extent and create adverse feelings as a fundamental part of womanhood in Turkey. The experiences of the participants reflect the dynamic interactions among being suppressed, feeling self-shame, and being silent. The main dataset of this study was collected from December 2021 to February 2022 in Turkey via 20 online in-depth interviews conducted with a semi-structured questionnaire.
References
- Aldanmaz, B. & Eskitascioglu, İ. (2022). Türkiye’de Regl Yoksulluğu. Konuşmamız Gerek Derneği.
- Ali, T. S., & Rizvi, S. N. (2010). Menstrual knowledge and practices of female adolescents in urban Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of adolescence, 33(4), 531-541.
- Ali, T. S., Sami, N., & Khuwaja, A. K. (2007). Are unhygienic practices during the menstrual, partum and postpartum periods risk factors for secondary infertility?. Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 25(2), 189.
- Barutçu, A. (2013). Türkiye'de erkeklik inşasının bedensel ve toplumsal aşamaları. Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Kadın Çalışmaları Programı, Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi.
- Bista, M. B. (2008). Policies and realities for women teachers in Nepal. Women teaching in south Asia, 87-107.
- Bobel, C. (2019). Making menstruation matter in the global south: Mapping a critical history. In The managed body (pp. 69-109). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
- Bordo, S. (1993). Unbearable weight: Feminism, western culture, and the body. University of California Press.
- Bosch, A. Μ., Hutter, I., & van Ginneken, J. Κ. (2008). Perceptions of adolescents and their mothers on reproductive and sexual development in Matlab, Bangladesh. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 20(3), 329-342.
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2016). (Mis) conceptualising themes, thematic analysis, and other problems with Fugard and Potts’(2015) sample-size tool for thematic analysis. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 19(6), 739-743.
- Cakir, M., Mungan, I., Karakas, T., Girisken, I., & Okten, A. (2007). Menstrual pattern and common menstrual disorders among university students in Turkey. Pediatrics International, 49(6), 938-942.
- Chrisler, J. C. (2011). Leaks, lumps, and lines: Stigma and women’s bodies. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35(2), 202-214.
- Costos, D., Ackerman, R., & Paradis, L. (2002). Recollections of menarche: Communication between mothers and daughters regarding menstruation. Sex roles, 46(1), 49-59.
- Crofts, T., & Fisher, J. (2012). Menstrual hygiene in Ugandan schools: an investigation of low-cost sanitary pads. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 2(1), 50-58.
- Day, H. (2018). Normalizing menstruation, empowering girls. Lancet Child Adolescent Health, 2(6), 379.
- Direk, Z. (2003). Adet kanaması tecrübesi: Sınırlar ve ufuklar. Cogito, 37, 250-261.
- Djalalinia, S., Tehrani, F. R., Afzali, H. M., Hejazi, F., & Peykari, N. (2012). Parents or school health trainers, which of them is appropriate for menstrual health education?. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 3(9), 622.
- du Toit, B. M. (1987). Menarche and sexuality among a sample of black South African schoolgirls. Social Science & Medicine, 24(7), 561-571.
- Dundar, T., & Ozsoy, S. (2018). Menstrual Hygiene and Visually Impaired Women/Menstrual Hijyen ve Gorme Engelliler. Journal of Education and Research in Nursing, 15(3), 192-195.
- Erbil, N., Felek, N., & Karakaşlı, E. (2015). The relationship between attitudes towards menarche and current attitudes towards menstruation of women: A comparative study. Journal of Human Sciences, 12(2), 1120-1130.
- Fahs, B. (2018). Imagining ugliness: Failed femininities, shame, and disgust written onto the “other” body. In S. Rodrigues & E. Przybylo (Eds.), On the politics of ugliness (pp. 237–258). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Fahs, B. (2019). There will be (so much) blood. Women’s Reproductive Health, 6(2), 145–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2019.1601902 FAWE Uganda (2004). Sexual maturation in relation to education of girls in Uganda: documenting good practices in girls’ education. Unpublished report. Kampala: FAWE U.
- Fingerson, L. (2005). Agency and the body in adolescent menstrual talk. Childhood, 12(1), 91-110.
- Guvenc, G., Kilic, A., Akyuz, A., & Ustunsoz, A. (2012). Premenstrual syndrome and attitudes toward menstruation in a sample of nursing students. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 33(3), 106-111.
- Hage, P., & Harary, F. (1981). Pollution beliefs in highland New Guinea. Man, 367-375.
- Houppert, K. (1999). The curse: Confronting the last unmentionable taboo: Menstruation. Macmillan.
- Jackson, T. E., & Falmagne, R. J. (2013). Women wearing white: Discourses of menstruation and the experience of menarche. Feminism & Psychology, 23(3), 379-398.
- Johnston-Robledo, I., & Chrisler, J. C. (2013). The menstrual mark: Menstruation as social stigma. Sex roles, 68(1), 9-18.
- Kalman, M. (2003). Taking a different path: menstrual preparation for adolescent girls living apart from their mothers. Health care for women international, 24(10), 868-879.
- Kansal, S., Singh, S., & Kumar, A. (2016). Menstrual hygiene practices in context of schooling: A community study among rural adolescent girls in Varanasi.
Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 41(1), 39.
- Kaundal, M., & Thakur, B. (2014). A dialogue on menstrual taboo. Indian Journal of Community Health, 26(2), 192-195.
- Kelland, L., Paphitis, S., & Macleod, C. (2017). A contemporary phenomenology of menstruation: Understanding the body in situation and as situation in public health interventions to address menstruation-related challenges. In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol. 63, pp. 33-41). Pergamon.
- Khanna, A., Goyal, R. S., & Bhawsar, R. (2005). Menstrual practices and reproductive problems: a study of adolescent girls in Rajasthan. Journal of Health Management, 7(1), 91-107.
- Kirk, J., & Sommer, M. (2006). Menstruation and body awareness: linking girls’ health with girls’ education. Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Special on Gender and Health, 1(3), 1-22.
- Kissling, E. A. (1996). Bleeding out loud: Communication about menstruation. Feminism & Psychology, 6(4), 481-504.
- Lee, J., & Sasser-Coen, J. (1996). Memories of menarche: Older women remember their first period. Journal of Aging Studies, 10(2), 83-101.
- Marván, M. L., Vacio, A., & Espinosa‐Hernandez, G. (2001). A Comparison of Menstrual Changes Expected by Pre‐Menarcheal Adolescents and Changes Actually Experienced by Post‐Menarcheal Adolescents in Mexico. Journal of School Health, 71(9), 458-461.
- Mathews, A. (1995). Menstruation issues in Bangladesh. Footsteps, 24, 2-3.
- McMahon, S. A., Winch, P. J., Caruso, B. A., Obure, A. F., Ogutu, E. A., Ochari, I. A., & Rheingans, R. D. (2011). 'The girl with her period is the one to hang her head' Reflections on menstrual management among schoolgirls in rural Kenya. BMC international health and human rights, 11(1), 1-10.
- Merskin, D. (1999). Adolescence, advertising, and the ideology of menstruation. Sex Roles, 40(11), 941-957.
- Moore, S. M. (1995). Girls' understanding and social constructions of menarche. Journal of Adolescence, 18(1), 87-104.
- Mudey, A. B., Kesharwani, N., Mudey, G. A., & Goyal, R. C. (2010). A cross-sectional study on awareness regarding safe and hygienic practices amongst school going adolescent girls in rural area of Wardha District, India. Global Journal of Health Science, 2(2), 225.
- Nagar, S., & Aimol, K. R. (2010). Knowledge of adolescent girls regarding menstruation in tribal areas of Meghalaya. Studies of Tribes and Tribals, 8(1), 27-30.
Newton, V. L. (2016). Everyday discourses of menstruation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Onur, H. & Koyuncu, B. (2004). ’Hegemonik’ erkekliğin görünmeyen yüzü: Sosyalizasyon sürecinde erkeklik oluşumları ve krizleri üzerine düşünceler, Toplum ve Bilim, Güz 101, pp. 31-50.
- Oxley, T. (1998). The Feminism & Psychology Undergraduate Prize 1997—Prizewinning Entry Menstrual Management: An Exploratory Study. Feminism & Psychology, 8(2), 185-191.
- Rembeck, G. I., Möller, M., & Gunnarsson, R. K. (2006). Attitudes and feelings towards menstruation and womanhood in girls at menarche. Acta Paediatrica, 95(6), 707-714.
- Riessman, C. K. (2003). Performing identities in illness narrative: Masculinity and multiple sclerosis. Qualitative Research, 3(1), 5–33.
- Rubinsky, V., Gunning, J. N., & Cooke-Jackson, A. (2020). “I thought I was dying:”(Un) supportive communication surrounding early menstruation experiences. Health Communication, 35(2), 242-252.
- Shukla, S. (2005). Working on menstruation with girls in Mumbai, India: Vacha women’s resource centre. EQUALS,(15) p, 5.
- Sultan, S., & Sahu, D. S. (2017). Knowledge, attitude and practices about menstruation and related problems in adolescent girls. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol, 6(12), 5235-5240.
- Tan, D. A., Haththotuwa, R., & Fraser, I. S. (2017). Cultural aspects and mythologies surrounding menstruation and abnormal uterine bleeding. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 40, 121-133.
- Van de Walle, E., & Renne, E. P. (Eds.). (2001). Regulating menstruation: Beliefs, practices, interpretations. University of Chicago Press.
- Vargün, B. (2021). Menstrüasyon ve tabu. Antropoloji, (42), 1-10.
- Vora, S. (2018). The experiences of menstruation by homeless women: a preliminary report. Empowering Women: Devon, UK.
- Yasmin, S., Mallik, S., Manna, N., Ahmed, A., & Paria, B. (2013). Menstrual hygiene among adolescent school students: an indepth cross-sectional study in an urban community of West Bengal, India. Sudanese Journal of Public Health, 8(2), 60-64.
- Yeung, D. Y., Tang, C. S. K., & Lee, A. (2005). Psychosocial and cultural factors influencing expectations of menarche: A study on Chinese premenarcheal teenage girls. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(1), 118-135.
- Young, I. M. (2005). On female body experience: “Throwing like a girl” and other essays. New York: Oxford University Press.
NARRATIVES ABOUT MENSTRUATION IN TURKEY: SELF-SHAME, SUPPRESSION AND SILENCE
Year 2022,
, 471 - 487, 30.10.2022
Esra Gedik
,
Ezgi Pehlivanlı
Abstract
In this study, we explore how women perceive menstruation in Turkey. The general discourse in Turkey defines menstruation as an adverse and even dirty biological process mainly described as “being ill” and/or making women unable to worship until becoming clean again. Experiences of menstruation also shape women’s identities to a certain extent and create adverse feelings as a fundamental part of womanhood in Turkey. The experiences of the participants reflect the dynamic interactions among being suppressed, feeling self-shame, and being silent. The main dataset of this study was collected from December 2021 to February 2022 in Turkey via 20 online in-depth interviews conducted with a semi-structured questionnaire.
References
- Aldanmaz, B. & Eskitascioglu, İ. (2022). Türkiye’de Regl Yoksulluğu. Konuşmamız Gerek Derneği.
- Ali, T. S., & Rizvi, S. N. (2010). Menstrual knowledge and practices of female adolescents in urban Karachi, Pakistan. Journal of adolescence, 33(4), 531-541.
- Ali, T. S., Sami, N., & Khuwaja, A. K. (2007). Are unhygienic practices during the menstrual, partum and postpartum periods risk factors for secondary infertility?. Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 25(2), 189.
- Barutçu, A. (2013). Türkiye'de erkeklik inşasının bedensel ve toplumsal aşamaları. Ankara Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Kadın Çalışmaları Programı, Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi.
- Bista, M. B. (2008). Policies and realities for women teachers in Nepal. Women teaching in south Asia, 87-107.
- Bobel, C. (2019). Making menstruation matter in the global south: Mapping a critical history. In The managed body (pp. 69-109). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
- Bordo, S. (1993). Unbearable weight: Feminism, western culture, and the body. University of California Press.
- Bosch, A. Μ., Hutter, I., & van Ginneken, J. Κ. (2008). Perceptions of adolescents and their mothers on reproductive and sexual development in Matlab, Bangladesh. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 20(3), 329-342.
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2016). (Mis) conceptualising themes, thematic analysis, and other problems with Fugard and Potts’(2015) sample-size tool for thematic analysis. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 19(6), 739-743.
- Cakir, M., Mungan, I., Karakas, T., Girisken, I., & Okten, A. (2007). Menstrual pattern and common menstrual disorders among university students in Turkey. Pediatrics International, 49(6), 938-942.
- Chrisler, J. C. (2011). Leaks, lumps, and lines: Stigma and women’s bodies. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35(2), 202-214.
- Costos, D., Ackerman, R., & Paradis, L. (2002). Recollections of menarche: Communication between mothers and daughters regarding menstruation. Sex roles, 46(1), 49-59.
- Crofts, T., & Fisher, J. (2012). Menstrual hygiene in Ugandan schools: an investigation of low-cost sanitary pads. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 2(1), 50-58.
- Day, H. (2018). Normalizing menstruation, empowering girls. Lancet Child Adolescent Health, 2(6), 379.
- Direk, Z. (2003). Adet kanaması tecrübesi: Sınırlar ve ufuklar. Cogito, 37, 250-261.
- Djalalinia, S., Tehrani, F. R., Afzali, H. M., Hejazi, F., & Peykari, N. (2012). Parents or school health trainers, which of them is appropriate for menstrual health education?. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 3(9), 622.
- du Toit, B. M. (1987). Menarche and sexuality among a sample of black South African schoolgirls. Social Science & Medicine, 24(7), 561-571.
- Dundar, T., & Ozsoy, S. (2018). Menstrual Hygiene and Visually Impaired Women/Menstrual Hijyen ve Gorme Engelliler. Journal of Education and Research in Nursing, 15(3), 192-195.
- Erbil, N., Felek, N., & Karakaşlı, E. (2015). The relationship between attitudes towards menarche and current attitudes towards menstruation of women: A comparative study. Journal of Human Sciences, 12(2), 1120-1130.
- Fahs, B. (2018). Imagining ugliness: Failed femininities, shame, and disgust written onto the “other” body. In S. Rodrigues & E. Przybylo (Eds.), On the politics of ugliness (pp. 237–258). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Fahs, B. (2019). There will be (so much) blood. Women’s Reproductive Health, 6(2), 145–146. https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2019.1601902 FAWE Uganda (2004). Sexual maturation in relation to education of girls in Uganda: documenting good practices in girls’ education. Unpublished report. Kampala: FAWE U.
- Fingerson, L. (2005). Agency and the body in adolescent menstrual talk. Childhood, 12(1), 91-110.
- Guvenc, G., Kilic, A., Akyuz, A., & Ustunsoz, A. (2012). Premenstrual syndrome and attitudes toward menstruation in a sample of nursing students. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, 33(3), 106-111.
- Hage, P., & Harary, F. (1981). Pollution beliefs in highland New Guinea. Man, 367-375.
- Houppert, K. (1999). The curse: Confronting the last unmentionable taboo: Menstruation. Macmillan.
- Jackson, T. E., & Falmagne, R. J. (2013). Women wearing white: Discourses of menstruation and the experience of menarche. Feminism & Psychology, 23(3), 379-398.
- Johnston-Robledo, I., & Chrisler, J. C. (2013). The menstrual mark: Menstruation as social stigma. Sex roles, 68(1), 9-18.
- Kalman, M. (2003). Taking a different path: menstrual preparation for adolescent girls living apart from their mothers. Health care for women international, 24(10), 868-879.
- Kansal, S., Singh, S., & Kumar, A. (2016). Menstrual hygiene practices in context of schooling: A community study among rural adolescent girls in Varanasi.
Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, 41(1), 39.
- Kaundal, M., & Thakur, B. (2014). A dialogue on menstrual taboo. Indian Journal of Community Health, 26(2), 192-195.
- Kelland, L., Paphitis, S., & Macleod, C. (2017). A contemporary phenomenology of menstruation: Understanding the body in situation and as situation in public health interventions to address menstruation-related challenges. In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol. 63, pp. 33-41). Pergamon.
- Khanna, A., Goyal, R. S., & Bhawsar, R. (2005). Menstrual practices and reproductive problems: a study of adolescent girls in Rajasthan. Journal of Health Management, 7(1), 91-107.
- Kirk, J., & Sommer, M. (2006). Menstruation and body awareness: linking girls’ health with girls’ education. Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Special on Gender and Health, 1(3), 1-22.
- Kissling, E. A. (1996). Bleeding out loud: Communication about menstruation. Feminism & Psychology, 6(4), 481-504.
- Lee, J., & Sasser-Coen, J. (1996). Memories of menarche: Older women remember their first period. Journal of Aging Studies, 10(2), 83-101.
- Marván, M. L., Vacio, A., & Espinosa‐Hernandez, G. (2001). A Comparison of Menstrual Changes Expected by Pre‐Menarcheal Adolescents and Changes Actually Experienced by Post‐Menarcheal Adolescents in Mexico. Journal of School Health, 71(9), 458-461.
- Mathews, A. (1995). Menstruation issues in Bangladesh. Footsteps, 24, 2-3.
- McMahon, S. A., Winch, P. J., Caruso, B. A., Obure, A. F., Ogutu, E. A., Ochari, I. A., & Rheingans, R. D. (2011). 'The girl with her period is the one to hang her head' Reflections on menstrual management among schoolgirls in rural Kenya. BMC international health and human rights, 11(1), 1-10.
- Merskin, D. (1999). Adolescence, advertising, and the ideology of menstruation. Sex Roles, 40(11), 941-957.
- Moore, S. M. (1995). Girls' understanding and social constructions of menarche. Journal of Adolescence, 18(1), 87-104.
- Mudey, A. B., Kesharwani, N., Mudey, G. A., & Goyal, R. C. (2010). A cross-sectional study on awareness regarding safe and hygienic practices amongst school going adolescent girls in rural area of Wardha District, India. Global Journal of Health Science, 2(2), 225.
- Nagar, S., & Aimol, K. R. (2010). Knowledge of adolescent girls regarding menstruation in tribal areas of Meghalaya. Studies of Tribes and Tribals, 8(1), 27-30.
Newton, V. L. (2016). Everyday discourses of menstruation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Onur, H. & Koyuncu, B. (2004). ’Hegemonik’ erkekliğin görünmeyen yüzü: Sosyalizasyon sürecinde erkeklik oluşumları ve krizleri üzerine düşünceler, Toplum ve Bilim, Güz 101, pp. 31-50.
- Oxley, T. (1998). The Feminism & Psychology Undergraduate Prize 1997—Prizewinning Entry Menstrual Management: An Exploratory Study. Feminism & Psychology, 8(2), 185-191.
- Rembeck, G. I., Möller, M., & Gunnarsson, R. K. (2006). Attitudes and feelings towards menstruation and womanhood in girls at menarche. Acta Paediatrica, 95(6), 707-714.
- Riessman, C. K. (2003). Performing identities in illness narrative: Masculinity and multiple sclerosis. Qualitative Research, 3(1), 5–33.
- Rubinsky, V., Gunning, J. N., & Cooke-Jackson, A. (2020). “I thought I was dying:”(Un) supportive communication surrounding early menstruation experiences. Health Communication, 35(2), 242-252.
- Shukla, S. (2005). Working on menstruation with girls in Mumbai, India: Vacha women’s resource centre. EQUALS,(15) p, 5.
- Sultan, S., & Sahu, D. S. (2017). Knowledge, attitude and practices about menstruation and related problems in adolescent girls. Int J Reprod Contracept Obstet Gynecol, 6(12), 5235-5240.
- Tan, D. A., Haththotuwa, R., & Fraser, I. S. (2017). Cultural aspects and mythologies surrounding menstruation and abnormal uterine bleeding. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 40, 121-133.
- Van de Walle, E., & Renne, E. P. (Eds.). (2001). Regulating menstruation: Beliefs, practices, interpretations. University of Chicago Press.
- Vargün, B. (2021). Menstrüasyon ve tabu. Antropoloji, (42), 1-10.
- Vora, S. (2018). The experiences of menstruation by homeless women: a preliminary report. Empowering Women: Devon, UK.
- Yasmin, S., Mallik, S., Manna, N., Ahmed, A., & Paria, B. (2013). Menstrual hygiene among adolescent school students: an indepth cross-sectional study in an urban community of West Bengal, India. Sudanese Journal of Public Health, 8(2), 60-64.
- Yeung, D. Y., Tang, C. S. K., & Lee, A. (2005). Psychosocial and cultural factors influencing expectations of menarche: A study on Chinese premenarcheal teenage girls. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(1), 118-135.
- Young, I. M. (2005). On female body experience: “Throwing like a girl” and other essays. New York: Oxford University Press.