Parental Understanding of Menstrual Problems in Their Adolescent Child: A Narrative Review✰

Menstrual health is a critical aspect of adolescent development, which encompasses physical, psychological, and social dimensions. While menstruation is a natural physiological process, problems such as dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual bleeding can negatively affect the quality of life of an adolescent. Early education and timely recognition of menstrual problems are thus important. However, adolescent menstrual health needs remain unaddressed across diverse culture contexts and are underrecognized in low-income countries. Parents, particularly mothers, are often the primary source of information, yet their knowledge can vary greatly. This narrative review explores the current literature on parental knowledge about adolescent menstruation. Twenty-two qualitative and quantitative studies were synthesized, spanning diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts. Three main themes were identified: (1) parental knowledge of adolescent menstruation, (2) parent-adolescent communication, and (3) unmet parental needs. Parental knowledge was often limited to menarche and hygiene in many low- and middle-income countries. In high-income countries, two Australian studies reported limited parental knowledge in recognizing the severity of, and seeking management of, dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual bleeding. Across countries, communication was constrained by limited knowledge, stigma, and discomfort. Strengthening parental knowledge is important to promote timely health-seeking behaviors, minimize stigma across cultures, and improve adolescent menstrual health.