The good, the bad, and the bloody: Describing women athletes’ raw experiences of menstrual function and dysfunction in sport
Margo E. K. Adam, Kacey C. Neely, Marta C. ErlandsonBackground
Menstruation remains a stigmatized experience as a result of women’s compliance with social expectations that promote concealment and suppression. Due to the taboo, women athletes and researchers alike have not deeply explored and described women athletes’ experiences of menstruation in sport beyond highly quantitative or medical approaches.
Objectives
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe women athletes’ experiences and the essence of menstrual function and dysfunction in competitive sport.
Design
An Interpretive Descriptive qualitative study design was applied.
Methods
23 women athletes (
Results
Two themes were generated through reflective thematic analysis: (i)
Conclusion
The results of this research highlight that the experiences of women athletes are complex, situational, individual, and often concealed, underscoring the need for nuanced, athlete-centered approaches in sport science and policy.