Girls in Bali: How Online Info Shapes Menstrual Health Learning

These days, having enough and correct information about menstrual health is crucial for teenagers. Mobile phones are everywhere, so young people often look for or bump into menstrual health information online using websites, social media, or health apps. But even though online info is important, most research and school programs focus on formal learning methods. In Bali, Indonesia, researchers spent seven months from November 2022 to June 2023 studying how junior high school girls aged 13-15 access and use online information for menstrual health. They talked to groups from four schools in Gianyar Regency and Denpasar City, with 20 group discussions, 14 diary entries, and interviews with five girls. They also observed the girls in school and community spaces.

The study found that online info plays a big role in learning about menstrual health. Girls either searched for it directly or found it by accident. Their reasons for looking it up depended on their specific needs. Online info offered personalized and convenient learning, but it also brought worries from too much or inappropriate information and reinforced old myths. This shows the need to include informal online info in future menstrual health research and programs, especially where mobile use is high among young people.

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