Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Background</bold> Menstrual health literacy in Australia is consistently found to be insufficient, limiting the ability to confidently and effectively manage menstruation or support those who menstruate. Problematically, these knowledge and resource gaps are tied to the absence of relevant, timely, and inclusive menstrual education in Australian schools. Correspondingly, children often rely on parents and caregivers for menstrual health information; however, little is known about the menstrual health literacy of these key informants. This represents a critical gap in the social determinants of health literature, which the present research seeks to address. To address this identified gap, this scoping review systematically mapped the existing literature to examine current evidence relating to parents’ and caregivers’ roles in menstrual health literacy, asking (i) What is the nature of literature examining menstrual health literacies among parents and caregivers in Australia? And (ii) What are the gaps and methodological shortcomings within this literature that should be addressed by future research? <bold>Methods</bold> A scoping review was conducted following the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. MEDLINE (via OVID), APA PsycInfo, Scopus, Embase (via OvidSP), CINAHL, Web of Science, Google and Google Scholar were systematically searched from database inception through July 2025 to identify English‑language, peer‑reviewed studies addressing the research questions. Two independent reviewers screened 1030 records, with 14 peer reviewed studies identified as eligible and subsequently examined to map existing evidence, gaps, and inform understandings of parents and caregivers’ menstrual health knowledge. <bold>Results</bold> Three overarching themes were identified and a positioned as: (a) Limited extent to which parents and caregivers provide education, (b) Parents’ and caregivers’ exclusion from, and limited access to, menstrual health literacy and (c) Damaging menstrual stigma and significant methodological gaps. All included studies were conducted within, or specifically relevant to, the Australian context, with publications spanning 1985 to 2024. The evidence captured a diverse range of perspectives, including those of mothers, fathers, and children. The review also identified important methodological and evidence gaps, particularly the limited inclusion of non-maternal caregivers and other family members in menstrual health research. <bold>Conclusion</bold> Parents and caregivers play a critical role in shaping children’s menstrual health literacy and are often their primary source of information about menstruation. However, this review found that limited parental knowledge, together with deeply embedded stigma and taboo tied menstruation, contributes to problematic gaps both in terms of knowledge and access to informative and credentialed resources. These findings highlight the need for tailored, family-centred menstrual health education and public health initiatives supporting and strengthen menstrual health literacy among all parents/caregivers. Correspondingly, efforts should also address the exclusion of fathers and other caregivers from menstrual health discussions and work to challenge the stigma and taboo continuing to shroud menstruation. </p>