{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T17:09:45Z","timestamp":1788282585160,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,27]],"date-time":"2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1740614400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute (RGHI)","award":["20221202SGbogbo"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20221202SGbogbo"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Menstruation, experienced by 1.8 billion girls and women globally, is often misunderstood and surrounded by taboos and misconceptions, particularly in low-income countries like Ghana. This study explores the Ghanaian socio-cultural representation of menstruation and the cultural experiences of young girls during menarche. (2) Methods: This qualitative exploratory study was conducted in five Senior High Schools in Ghana\u2019s Volta Region, using purposive and convenience sampling. Fifteen Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted, including five FGDs each for female students, teachers, and parents, with 10\u201312 participants per group. All FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and imported into MAXQDA 2022 for thematic analysis. (3) Results: This study identified various socio-cultural beliefs and practices surrounding menstruation in Ghana, including the celebration of menarche, viewing menstrual blood as unclean, and cultural taboos like household, religious, and social restrictions. (4) Conclusion: Despite shifting beliefs and practices, cultural and social practices\/restrictions regarding menstruation are persistent in the Volta Region of Ghana, and these practices often determine how society interacts with menstruating women. These practices often determine how society interacts with menstruating girls and women and hinder optimal menstrual health and hygiene.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph22030349","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,27]],"date-time":"2025-02-27T08:04:44Z","timestamp":1740643484000},"page":"349","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["The Socio-Cultural Construction of Menstruation in the Ghanaian Context: A Qualitative Study of the Perspectives of Parents, Teachers, and Adolescent Girls"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1577-4554","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sitsofe","family":"Gbogbo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0611-758X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Israel","family":"Wuresah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanuel","family":"Gbogbo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8857-5778","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wisdom Kudzo","family":"Axame","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Priscilla","family":"Klutse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4260-9618","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robert Kokou","family":"Dowou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah Odi","family":"Mantey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sarah Abena Yeome","family":"Ayitey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ishmael","family":"Boateng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paramount Eli","family":"Nelson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0413-0350","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuworza","family":"Kugbey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, PMB Somanya, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Victor Christian Korley","family":"Doku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King\u2019s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Julie","family":"Hennegan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Frank","family":"Baiden","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fred Newton","family":"Binka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fred N. Binka School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, PMB 31 Ho, Ghana"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2024, August 28). Ovulation & Menstruation. Available online: https:\/\/iapmd.org\/the-cycle."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"(2024, August 28). UNICEF Menstrual Hygiene|UNICEF. Available online: https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/wash\/menstrual-hygiene."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"233","article-title":"Adolescence: The Stage of Transition","volume":"2","author":"Kapur","year":"2015","journal-title":"Horiz. Holist. 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