Feeling Lazy but Looking Strong: A Qualitative Exploration of Menstrual Pain Among Adolescents in Bali, Indonesia

Abstract

Menstrual pain is common yet disruptive among adolescents; however, limited research has explored adolescents’ lived experiences of pain and the intersection with social expectations. Data collection included group discussions, interviews, diaries, and observations over seven months in Bali, Indonesia, with 24 girls and five school staff. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We identified how menstrual pain was experienced as unfamiliar and disruptive. Everyday practices became challenging, presenting a double burden of pain and social discomfort. The concepts of habitus and bio-habitus helped describe the tensions between participants’ embodied experiences of pain and social expectations. We argue that these tensions both reinforce expectations of endurance and encourage care, providing useful insights for future interventions.

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