A Developmental Perspective on Adolescents’ Reproductive Self-Care

Abstract

This article is a comment on Prior's (2016) article “Adolescents’ Use of Combined Hormonal Contraceptives for Menstrual Cycle–Related Problem Treatment and Contraception: Evidence of Potential Lifelong Negative Reproductive and Bone Effects.” In this article I place the medicalization of menstrual cycle–related issues in the context of negative social and cultural messages about menstruation and argue that more positive attitudes toward menstruation and better menstrual education might alleviate the need for some “treatments.” I argue that good education about puberty in general, and menstruation in particular, must be designed with adolescents’ psychosocial and cognitive development, as well as their physical development, in mind. Issues related to developmental maturity must also be considered in any discussion of which contraceptive methods an adolescent girl should use.