Mothers experiences on menstrual care management of girls with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Introduction: The menstrual cycle process is same for girls and women but the support level for managing their menstruation must be higher in girls with intellectual disabilities. They need more support for managing and developing menstrual management habit because of their cognitive limitations in understanding, learning, applying and expressing their needs due to limitations in communications. They generally they get support in education, leisure and other areas of self-care activities from professionals but in case of menstrual management their mothers are the only support giver. Aim and objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the experience of mothers in managing their daughters with intellectual disabilities during menstruation. Study objectives includes identifying type of support, challenges faced by mothers, menstrual impacts and based on the challenges adopt some strategies and recommendations to ease mothers stress and developing menstrual management habit among girls with intellectual disabilities. Study method: Data was collected by conducting in-depth interview sessions with six mothers of girls with intellectual disabilities and data was collected till saturation. Data were analyzed by using thematic analysis to develop themes that explore the experiences of the mothers. Results: Researcher identified four themes containing subthemes including 1. various level of menstrual supports (sub-themes- mothers give support before starting menarche , mothers need to understand premenstrual symptoms, first onset of menstrual support by mothers , regular menstrual support noticing, reminding , Mostly mothers are the only caregiver, 2. mothers facing so much challenges (sub-themes first menstrual reactions management causing stress, care burden causes challenges and stress for mothers, thinking about extra protection issue also cause stress for mothers), 3. achieving menarche has long term impacts both physical and psychologically (subthemes- after achieving menarche girls are growing faster, girls achieve better understanding level), 4. strategies come out from mothers that overcome challenges [vi] and ease mothers emotional distress subthemes- mothers focus on increasing girl’s independency level, Support seeking behavior by mothers, mothers focus on increasing girl’s independency level, mothers give more importance on professional’s recommendations). Discussion: Although supports from professionals’ might ease mother stress and give her hope about future management of menstruation, these type of supports are absent or inadequate. Mothers manage their daughters during their menstrual period by applying their own experiences. Conclusion: Mothers facing so many challenges and mental stress but they have to manage the situation by themselves due to inadequate sharing platforms and social, religious and cultural taboo.