Evidence on girls' transitions through puberty in Madagascar and ways in which menarche influences their educational experiences and future sexual and reproductive health is limited. We conducted qualitative research involving participatory activities with girls in rural and urban Madagascar to explore their transitions through early puberty. Key…

Educational interventions on menstruation and puberty have emerged as an important element of efforts to improve girls' knowledge and confidence related to puberty, menstruation, and menstrual hygiene management (MHM). We conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of the "Ethiopia Growth and Changes" puberty book, developed through research…

The barriers to menstrual hygiene management faced by adolescent schoolgirls in low-income countries are gaining interest at practice and policy levels. The challenges include inadequate water, sanitation and disposal facilities for the management of menses with privacy and dignity, and insufficient guidance to help girls feel confident in…

The global development community has focused in recent decades on closing the gender gap in education, but has given insufficient attention to the specific needs of pre- and post-pubescent girls as they transition to young womanhood within the educational institution. This study explored the social context of girls' experiences of menses and…

The importance of girls' education for population health outcomes in low-income countries is well documented. Despite this critical relationship, the global public health community has tended to overlook aspects of the school environment that may hinder girls' pubertal transitions in schools across low-income countries. Minimal empirical attention…

The onset of puberty, and specifically menstruation, is an opportune moment for reaching girls as they transition into adolescence and young womanhood. Despite the importance of this transitional period, the reproductive health community has tended to overlook the onset of menstruation and early puberty in global, national and local policy and…