Beliefs-related menstruation: a review based on scientific evidence

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Explore existing beliefs related to menstruation and evaluate their accuracy using scientific evidence to promote menstrual health, women's well-being, and their rights. METHODOLOGY: A literature review was conducted based on the RAMESES methodology. Articles published in English and Spanish from 2018 to 2022 were searched for in the PubMed, Scopus, and SciELO databases, as well as on the WHO, UNICEF, WASH, and WaterAid platforms. The MeSH terms used were menstruation, myths, beliefs, hygiene, sexual activity, physical activity, nutrition, and religion. In Spanish, the terms used were: menstruación, mitos, creencias, higiene, “actividad sexual”, “actividad física”, y “nutrición” y “religion”. RESULTS: A total of 2,465 articles were found. Of these, 72 studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected. The beliefs identified in the studies were grouped into four categories, with an additional category for religion. Twelve beliefs related to menstruation were identified: four corresponded to hygiene, four to nutrition, three to sexual activity, and one to physical activity. Thirty-one of the selected studies focused on hygiene, 19 focused on physical activity, 11 focused on nutrition, six focused on sexual activity, and five focused on religion. The most common beliefs about menstruation were related to contact with water, purchasing menstrual products, and physical activity. From the perspectives of Judaism and Hinduism, menstruation was associated with impurity and contamination. CONCLUSIONS: The identified menstruation-related beliefs are false because they contradict scientific evidence. These beliefs reveal a significant lack of knowledge about menstruation, resulting from cultural and religious beliefs, as well as the absence of comprehensive sex education, which can lead to practices that endanger women's well-being and health.