Sexual and reproductive health experiences of adolescent girls and women in marginalised communities in Bangladesh
| Autor: | Mohammad Shahjahan Chowdhury, Sharif Mostafa Helal, Faisal Ahmmed |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Health Knowledge
Attitudes Practice Health (social science) Adolescent media_common.quotation_subject Sexual Behavior Psychological intervention Shame Abortion Developmental psychology Menstruation Unsafe abortion Pregnancy Child marriage Humans Child Reproductive health media_common Bangladesh business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Social environment Reproductive Health Female Sexual Health business Psychology |
| Zdroj: | Culture, healthsexuality. 24(8) |
| ISSN: | 1464-5351 |
| Popis: | Participatory research was conducted with adolescent girls and women in three isolated rural communities of Bangladesh to assess their perspectives and the role of social and gender norms on the construction of knowledge regarding menstruation, pregnancy and abortion. Norms of privacy and silence, local beliefs and a culture of shame held that the human body is 'natural' and does not require formal sexual and reproductive health care. Instead, participants sought out traditional healers and used herbal plants as natural remedies. Participants reported being restricted in performing religious activities, cooking and food consumption during menstruation. Because sanitary protection was expensive, women used old cloths to soak up menstrual blood and used them repeatedly without washing with soap or drying in the open air, due to shame and the fear of evil spirits. The local incidence of child marriage was high, which also limited women's agency and voice. Contraceptive use was irregular and inappropriate; none of participants or their husbands used contraceptives, resulting in unwanted pregnancy often followed by unsafe abortion. Programmes and interventions are needed that engage with women's experiences within the sociocultural context of studied communities. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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