Menstrual Health Research Network Hui 2024
The third Menstrual Health Research Network Hui was held on November 20th and 21st 2024 in Ōtepoti Dunedin. Nearly 50 attendees from across the country gathered to share knowledge and build connections. The event featured a variety of interactive workshops, presentations, and discussions. Topics included advocacy for research, patient-focused research, and a workshop led by researchers from The Donald Beasley Institute providing a disability perspective on menstrual cycle health research. Highlights included student presentations, a resource review of menstrual health information for Aotearoa, and a collaborative session exploring future research opportunities. We also celebrated the growing impact of the Network through ongoing collaborations and member updates. See a summary of the two days below:
Guest Speakers
Associate Professor Sara Filoche
Department for Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health (Wellington) Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka - University of Otago
‘Action and advocacy for research – collective approach(es)’
All of us are doing action advocacy research in some shape or form. This workshop discussed how we could galvanise as a collective? As a collective (and to grow representation) in partnership could we submit a Bill to parliament to increase investment for gynaecology (or broader) research? Could we develop a framework to make inclusion criteria more inclusive in clinical research? What else could we, can we do?
The Donald Beasley Institute
During this collaborative workshop, a team of disabled and non-disabled researchers from the Donald Beasley Institute discussed reproductive rights and justice from a disability perspective. The team drew on past research that engaged with women with learning disabilities about their menstrual cycle knowledge and health, as well as recent research on disabled people's access to abortion services. The workshop concluded with a discussion of key areas for future research relating to the menstrual health and well-being of disabled people.
Workshops, Presentations and Panels:
Students and Early Career Researcher Presentations
During this session we were able to hear from six of our student researchers amongst the network and learn a bit about what they are doing and where they would like to go
Resource Review
With the launch of the Network Website earlier this year we wanted to continue mapping out resources and publications that are crucial to menstrual cycle health research in Aotearoa New Zealand. We hope this work will continue in the new year and we can create a document that reflects the landscape of menstrual cycle health research in Aotearoa.
‘Integrating Ethics and Law into Menstrual Health Research’
Associate Professor Josephine Johnston, Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka - University of Otago
Josephine works on a variety of ethical, legal, and policy issues in medicine and science, with a particular focus on the implications of emerging technologies in human reproduction, psychiatry, genetics, and neuroscience. With this expertise, she led a discussion on the autonomy of choice in hereditary conditions in young people and the social context and pressures surrounding social egg freezing.
Research Panel: Patient Focus in Menstrual Cycle Health Research
Across the network we have patients, clinicians, researchers, whanau and individuals with an insight into person first research. This panel explored ways in which we construct and conduct research and the impact that has on the people this research concerns and how we can look at refining our approach to do research on the terms of the participant.
Connections and Collaborations: Past, Present and Future
As the Network grows so too has the number of connections and collaborations made between members. This fun session challenged attendees to come up with blue sky ideas for new research projects. In light of our final year of funding (Eeek!), we also collected evidence of existing collaborations to build our ocial documentation of network impact.
If there are any projects or initiatives related to the network you think we should know about, please send an email through to menstrualhealth@otago.ac.nz
Pacific women’s experience of infertility and assisted reproduction in New Zealand.
Dr. Zaramasina Clark, Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington Cameron Young, Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka - University of Otago
This interactive session built upon last year's introduction to their project on the experience of Pacific people with assisted reproduction and IVF. This session highlighted real examples of participant experiences from their work. Attendees then were able to discuss and understand dierences in how we construct ideas like religion and parentage to gain greater appreciation for the cultural nuance needed in responsive and reciprocal research and health care.
Health Tech Workshop
Associate Professor Bryndl Hohmann-Marriott, Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka - University of Otago
This workshop came from a project within the network looking at how people use and understand period- tracking apps and their menstrual cycle data. This workshop focused on common tools that are used to evaluate menstrual apps and we discussed their suitability to the context of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Network Member Updates
We rounded out the hui by hearing updates from 4 of our members and the ongoing work and research that they are doing in the world of menstrual cycle health