Impact of Limited Menstruation Education

Abstract

The stigma surrounding menstruation is a prominent issue within the United States. This taboo subject has the potential to negatively impact the relationships formed between males and females from adolescence through adulthood. In order to remedy this problem, it is important to educate both genders equally on the topic of menstruation. Additionally, this paper discusses what is currently being done within the state of Georgia to solve issues such as period poverty and the tax placed on menstrual hygiene management products. The goal of this dissertation was to challenge the current health education standards within the state of Georgia and address the need for serious reform in the classroom regarding sexual and reproductive health. Moreover, data was collected in order to compare and contrast the responses collected from both participant groups. This paper uses a mixed method approach consisting of interviews and surveys collected from both adults and adolescents. A thematic analysis was used in order to identify patterns in interviews as well as an open response survey question. It was discovered that both age groups responded in similar ways throughout the study.