Menstruation Impact and Social Gender Perceptions Among Adolescent and Young Women: The Contributory Role of Intercultural Awareness

INTRODUCTION: Menstruation is a crucial milestone in women's sexual and reproductive health, with significant social and cultural implications. For many adolescent and young women, this process is often associated with anxiety and limited experiential knowledge. The meaning of menstruation and the cultural practices surrounding it vary significantly across different societies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the relationships between menstrual experiences, cultural awareness, and gender role perceptions among adolescent and young women in Türkiye. METHOD: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 533 women aged 15-24. Data were collected using the Menstruation Impact Scale (MIS), Social Gender Perception Scale (SGPS), and Intercultural Awareness Scale (IAS). RESULTS: The study revealed that 65.5% of women believe that menstruation makes them ritually impure due to bleeding, 55.7% thought it advisable to abstain from sexual intercourse, 27.6% considered it necessary to refrain from haircuts, and 25.9% thought it necessary to avoid activities such as pickling, kneading dough, and fermenting yogurt. A positive but low correlation was observed between MIS and IAS (r = 0.147). Additionally, a low-level positive and significant relationship was identified between IAS and SGPS (r = 0.290). Regression analysis further demonstrated a low-level negative relationship between age at first birth and SGPS (r = -0.114). Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that demographic variables accounted for a small portion of the variance in SGPS scores, whereas the addition of IAS substantially increased the explained variance. IAS emerged as the strongest predictor of SGPS, with MIS contributing modestly to the model. CONCLUSIONS: Intercultural awareness significantly shapes social gender perceptions among adolescent and young women, while the perceived impact of menstruation contributes to a lesser extent. These findings underscore the role of cultural context and the need for targeted educational programs to foster egalitarian gender attitudes.