هانیه شریعتمدار

Challenging menstrual situation is more difficult for orphans and vulnerable adolescent girls; also negative experiences of having period have a significant impact on their physical and mental health. Awareness of their experiences is essential for improving and developing programs as well as psycho-social interventions. Thus, the present phenomenological qualitative study investigated menstrual experiences of orphans and vulnerable adolescent girls residing in residential houses of OVC Care Institutions in Iran. Saturated sampling lead to collecting 12 semi-structured interviews with the OVGs living in OVC Care Institutions residential houses of Iran. Qualitative analysis was performed using the Colaizzi’s method of data analysis to examine the patterns derived from the data. The results of analysis included five main themes and sixteen sub-themes. 1) Psychological problems of menstruation 2) Psychological problems 3) Positive strategies (attributing positive meaning, acceptance, attending to the body, seeking help and religious expectations compatibility. 4) negative strategies (relying on false/limited information, focusing on negative excitements and immature behaviors) 5. Needs and privileges of care homes (high numbers of supporters/ low privacy, desirable health facilities but limited access, helpful but non-comprehensive menstrual knowledge). Understanding menstrual experiences of orphans and vulnerable adolescent girls residing in residential houses can provide insights into gender-specific needs from a beneficiaries’ perspective so that it would be useful for improving the quality of care and also in developing educational interventions and preventing negative consequences throughout life.