From stigma to strength: Menstrual health awareness, practices and beliefs in Indian female athletes

The aim of the study was to explore menstrual health awareness, hygiene practices, and beliefs around menstruation among Indian female athletes. Three hundred and six participants aged 19.0 ± 4.3 years, recruited from the Inspire Institute of Sport, Bellary, Karnataka (India), were interviewed using a 30-item structured questionnaire covering various themes such as menstrual characteristics, knowledge, period care approaches, and perceptions towards menstruation. Frequency analysis was done to determine the results. The key findings were that the female family members were the most common first source of information around menstruation (75.8%), highlighting limited formal education and the continued confinement of menstrual discourse to female-centric spaces. Although 99.0% of the participants recognized menstruation as a natural process, only 71.5% correctly attributed it to hormonal changes. Hygiene practices showed a massive preference for using sanitary pads (88.9%) and a lack of period tracking amongst 62.4% of our subject population. Sleep disruptions during periods were common, with rest and hot packs as the most preferred coping strategies for dysmenorrhea. 26.1% of the athletes expressed reservation in talking about periods. These findings demonstrate the importance of comprehensive menstrual health education within athlete support systems—emphasizing not only basic physiology but also the performance and health implications of menstrual irregularities. Promoting informed practices is key to enhancing athlete well-being, recovery, and long-term performance sustainability.