Adaptation to Transition: Meaning of Menarche for Female Adolescents in South Korea

Abstract

Menarche is one of the most important transitions for women. Perceptions of menarche play an important role in this transition process and appear to be influenced strongly by culture. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of menarche among female adolescents in South Korea. Fifty-three female students’ essays and drawings representing their own perceptions of menarche were qualitatively analyzed. Five themes emerged from the data: something unfamiliar, lack of welcome, reaching maturity, pain and discomfort in my body, and changes in my daily life. When we quantitatively compared the themes, fifth-grade students and students who had not yet experienced menarche tended to focus more on the theme of reaching maturity, whereas students who had experienced menarche regardless of grade tended to focus on the theme of pain and discomfort in my body.