Interview study, 2026
How do women from diverse cultural backgrounds experience their bodies during their period?
Women's negative feelings about their bodies come from conflicting cultural messages: from their original cultures about purity and modesty, and from Western culture about thinness and control. Moving to a new country helped some women challenge and resist these negative views.
What they did
Qualitative study analyzing 305 survey responses and 20 interviews with culturally and linguistically diverse migrant women in Australia about how they experience their premenstrual body.
What they found
Women experienced dual surveillance where cultural scripts about purity and modesty from their original cultures mixed with Western ideals of thinness and control, intensifying distress and body dissatisfaction. Migration provided alternative ways of thinking that allowed some women to challenge and resist negative reproductive ideas from their cultures of origin.
What it means for you
Women from diverse cultural backgrounds struggle with conflicting messages about their bodies during their period. Healthcare providers need to understand these cultural backgrounds and provide culturally responsive support. Community education programs should address cultural myths and support these women's wellbeing. The limitation is that this is a qualitative study in one country.
305
survey participants
20
interview participants
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual Bodies Across Borders: Negative Premenstrual Embodiment Among Migrant Women from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds in Australia
- Authors
- Samantha Ryan, Alexandra Hawkey
- Journal
- Women s Reproductive Health
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Interview study
- Participants
- 20
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2026.2636626