This study was done with the purpose to record the prevalence of menstrual restrictions experienced by married women and examine potential associations between IPV in the past year and menstrual restrictions imposed by husbands and/or in-laws among women in three districts of Nepal: Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, and Chitwan.
Baseline data from an 1800 randomized control trial aiming to reduce IPV in three districts of the Terai region of Nepal were used to assess the prevalence of menstrual restrictions and the association with IPV.
Nearly three out of four women reported that they were experiencing high menstrual restrictions or two or more types of menstrual restrictions. No type of IPV was associated with high menstrual restrictions.
The study concluded through its findings that experience of menstrual restriction was widespread in this sample of women in Nepal. Future research should seek to identify how best to capture menstrual stigma and deviations around such norms. The global health and development community should prioritize integration with existing water and sanitation programs to reduce stigma and ensure the well-being of menstruating women and girls.
Reference:https://srh.bmj.com/content/45/1/38
