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Data was analysed using a material discursive framework and drawing on feminist disability theory. Participants were recruited from the Bangladesh CP Register (BCPR); a population-based surveillance of children and adolescents with CP in rural Bangladesh.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Participants were 45 women including 12 female adolescents with CP and 33 female caregivers. Participants reported a wide range of experiences and needs; menarche acted as a gateway to menstrual information although for some a discourse of silence prevailed due to exclusion from peer and familial networks. Menstruation was discursively constructed as a sign of \u2018female maturation\u2019 marked by an expectation of \u2018independence\u2019, required for acceptance into socially valued adult roles, and was positioned alongside increased vulnerability to sexual abuse. Young adolescent women with CP were expected to \u2018quietly endure\u2019 the material aspects of menstruation although unmanaged pain and distress were described. Mothers reported an imperative for meeting their adolescent\u2019s menstrual needs however this role was discursively positioned as \u2018painful\u2019, \u2018irritating\u2019 and \u2018shameful\u2019, in part due to an absence of affordable, functional menstrual resources.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The findings of the present study provide motivation for disability services in Bangladesh to account for the menstrual needs of young adolescent women with CP within service delivery through strategies such as providing menstrual education and by embedding value in constructs such as \u2018interdependence\u2019. Moreover, interventions focused on alleviating menstrual pain among young adolescent women with CP as well as those targeted to alleviate distress among mothers providing menstrual care are required. Finally, policy responses are required to ensure that \u2018inclusive development\u2019 considers the needs of menstruating women with disability.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-020-01032-3","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,1]],"date-time":"2020-08-01T09:04:36Z","timestamp":1596272676000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["\u2018Flower of the body\u2019: menstrual experiences and needs of young adolescent women with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh, and their mothers providing menstrual support"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9434-3941","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"R.","family":"Power","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9699-7754","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"K.","family":"Wiley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M.","family":"Muhit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4817-9922","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"E.","family":"Heanoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1480-8409","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"T.","family":"Karim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"N.","family":"Badawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0661-4113","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"G.","family":"Khandaker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,1]]},"reference":[{"issue":"7","key":"1032_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e015508","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-015508","volume":"7","author":"MU Alam","year":"2017","unstructured":"Alam MU, Luby SP, Halder AK, Islam K, Opel A, Shoab AK, Ghosh PK, Rahman M, Mahon T, Unicomb L. 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Participants were also given a phone number for contact with a research officer that they could call to ask questions about the interview.Prior to the interview, informed verbal and written consent was obtained for all individual participants. In cases of illiteracy, written consent was obtained by thumbprint. Minors (i.e. <16y) provided verbal assent and their parent or legal guardian written consent. In cases where adolescents were unable to consent (i.e. severe communication impairment or perceived lack of capacity) then consent was only obtained from the parent or legal guardian and data was only collected via the caregiver. No data was collected in instances that adolescents indicated objection to participation, even in instances of parental consent.This study adhered to STROBE guidelines and has ethical approval from the Bangladesh Medical Research Council (BMRC\/NREC\/2013\u20132016\/1165) and University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (2016\/646). 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