Abstract
Evidence on girls’ transitions through puberty in Madagascar and ways in which menarche influences their educational experiences and future sexual and reproductive health is limited. We conducted qualitative research involving participatory activities with girls in rural and urban Madagascar to explore their transitions through early puberty. Key informant interviews were also conducted with adults interacting in girls’ lives. Findings revealed gaps in girls’ knowledge and support during puberty, varying guidance received about sexuality after menarche, and challenges managing menstruation in school. Given significant gaps in girls’ levels of knowledge and support, a clear need was demonstrated for educational material on puberty for early adolescents, along with teacher training about puberty. Improved toilet facilities are also needed to improve menstruating girls’ school-going experiences.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
