"All I was told is that I'm not clean, I'm impure": Understanding Muslim Women's Experience of Menstrual Education
Zaidat Ibrahim, Novia Nurain, Sitha Ram Vallabhaneni, Priya Jain, James Clawson
Abstract
While HCI scholarship has investigated how Muslim women navigate their menstruation experiences, there remains a limited understanding of how early menstrual education is sought and shaped by religious upbringing, rulings, and values. Drawing on empirical data from the Asynchronous Remote Communities (ARC) method, we investigate how 14 menstruating cisgender Muslim adults in the US constructed and navigated their understanding of menstrual education. Using menarche (first menstruation) as a probe, we unpack the information they received, the gaps that persisted, and the influence of religious upbringing and narratives on their learning. We found that Muslim women gradually refine their early knowledge of menstruation and rely on social and religious support networks to navigate its implications within religious practice. Building on these insights, we present design implications and opportunities to foster menarche education and contribute to the development of robust, supportive, and religiously aligned menstrual information ecosystems.
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