Abstract
This study examines the experiences of eight menstruators and the impact these experiences have had on their attitudes towards menstruation and menstrual products. Participants engaged in a virtual workshop and discussed their personal experiences, both positive and negative, their opinions on various menstrual products, and the impact their experiences had on their attitudes towards menstruation and menstrual products. The findings from this study were thematically coded, and the influence of experiences on product choices was subsequently discussed. The varying needs of participants were also highlighted and discussed. Additionally, this study has identified that existing menstrual products do not meet all the needs of menstruators. Whilst the findings from this design-based research study bring forward new insights, it also sheds light on the gaps in knowledge and understanding of menstrual experiences.
Keywords
menstruation, menstrual health, women’s health, product design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.453
Citation
Kamil, I., and McMahon, M. (2022) Designing menstruation: An examination into the influence of experiences on the use of menstrual products, in Lockton, D., Lenzi, S., Hekkert, P., Oak, A., Sádaba, J., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2022: Bilbao, 25 June - 3 July, Bilbao, Spain. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.453
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
Designing menstruation: An examination into the influence of experiences on the use of menstrual products
This study examines the experiences of eight menstruators and the impact these experiences have had on their attitudes towards menstruation and menstrual products. Participants engaged in a virtual workshop and discussed their personal experiences, both positive and negative, their opinions on various menstrual products, and the impact their experiences had on their attitudes towards menstruation and menstrual products. The findings from this study were thematically coded, and the influence of experiences on product choices was subsequently discussed. The varying needs of participants were also highlighted and discussed. Additionally, this study has identified that existing menstrual products do not meet all the needs of menstruators. Whilst the findings from this design-based research study bring forward new insights, it also sheds light on the gaps in knowledge and understanding of menstrual experiences.