The Impact of Self-Components on Attitudes Toward Sex Among African American Preadolescent Girls: The Moderating Role of Menarche

The purpose of this study was to identify the protective factors that help to prevent attitudes that are tolerant of risky sexual behavior among inner-city, African American, preadolescent girls. It was hypothesized that aspects of the self would significantly predict attitudes toward sexual behavior among this population. It was also expected that the predictive power of the self-components (i.e., ethnic identity, self-concept, and masculine and feminine gender role orientation) would be increased in African American girls following menarche. Two hundred and five African American, preadolescent girls from a northeastern, inner-city community participated in this study. The age for this sample ranged from 10 to 13. Findings of this study lend partial support to the hypotheses. Examination of the predictive relationship between the self-components and attitudes toward sex indicated that self-concept and the masculine and feminine gender role characteristics were significant predictors of attitudes toward sex. In addition, the impact of ethnic identity on functioning was found to be most significant for girls who had experienced menarche.     

On the Rag on Screen: Menarche in Film and Television

The purpose of this essay is to examine film and television representations of menarche from a critical, feminist perspective. A close analysis of scenes about menarche in 3 films and 4 television programs reveals implicit ideological messages of gender difference and gender stereotypes. Although these scenes appear to be positive and powerful challenges to menstrual communication taboos, they ultimately serve to reinforce media stereotypes of gender difference.     

Recollections of Menarche: Communication Between Mothers and Daughters Regarding Menstruation

The nature of the communication between mothers and daughters at the time of menarche was examined in an attempt to determine the kinds of messages about menstruation that mothers tend to pass on to their daughters. The sample consisted of 138 women who ranged in age from 26 to 60 years (mean age = 43.2) at the time of the interviews. They were interviewed by 138 students enrolled in Psychology of Women classes taught by the first author. Participants were asked questions regarding their education about menstruation and their experience with menstruation. The content of the responses were analyzed for information about the quality and quantity of mother–daughter communication. The majority of daughters reported that communication with their mothers about menstruation was negative in tone. Eight types of negative messages were identified, including one labeled the grin-and-bear-it message. Two cases are presented to illustrate how the grin-and-bear-it message is related to the traditional feminine gender role and how it might negatively affect a woman's relationship with her mother and with other women.