The state of adolescent menstrual health in low- and middle-income countries and suggestions for future action and research

A growing body of evidence on menarche, menstruation, menstrual hygiene, and menstrual health1 among adolescents girls in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has revealed a somber, yet sadly unsurprising situation: menstruation continues to be shrouded in silence and stigma and remains a neglected issue in many places around the world. Many girls are uninformed and unprepared for menstruation and experience fear and anxiety upon reaching menarche. Mothers, other female relatives, and female peers are their main sources of information, but this information is often neither adequate nor timely.