Press & Publication
Press
Sommer, M. (October 1, 2018 ). 'Education, gender and sexual health'. FreshEd Podcast.
Sommer, M. (September 18, 2018). 'All about menstruation, puberty'. The Citizen, Tanzania.
Sommer, M. (November 2, 2017). 'Mainstreaming menstruation'. WNPR, National Public Radio.
Sommer, M. (October 10, 2017). 'Why periods are political: The fight for menstrual equity'. National Public Radio.
Sommer, M. (March 4, 2017). 'Menstruation 101 for Boys: A comic book is their guide'. National Public Radio.
Publications
Sommer, M. & Schmitt, M.L. (2023). Taking Stock: An adaptable research and partnership model for developing puberty education in 10 countries.
Global Health: Science and Practice, 11(2).
Teizazu, H., Gruer, C., Mandara, E., Sommer, M. (2023). A faith-based approach for puberty education in Tanzania: An exploratory assessment. Frontiers in Reproductive Health, 5.
Schmitt, M., Hagstrom, C., Nowara, A., Gruer, C., Adenu-Mensah, N., Keeley, K., Sommer, M. (2022). “Girls may bleed through pads because of demerits”: Adolescent girls’ experiences with menstruation and school bathrooms in the U.S.A.(link is external and opens in a new window) Journal of Adolescent Research, 0(0).
Schmitt, M., Gruer, C., Hagstrom, C., Adenu-Mensah, N., Nowara, A., Keeley, K., Sommer, M. (2022). “It always gets pushed aside”: Qualitative perspectives on puberty and menstruation education in U.S.A. schools.(link is external and opens in a new window) Frontiers in Reproductive Health, 4:1018217.
Schmitt, M., Hagstrom, C., Nowara, A., Gruer, C., Adenu-Mensah, N., Keeley, K., Sommer, M. (2021) The intersection of menstruation, school and family: Experiences of girls growing up in urban areas in the U.S.A.(link is external and opens in a new window) International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 26(1), 94-109.
Sommer, M., Skolnik, A., Ramirez, A., Lee, J., Rasoazanany, H & Ibitoye, M. (2019). Early Adolescence in Madagascar: Girls' Transitions Through Puberty in and out of School. The Journal of Early Adolescence.
Blake, S., Boone, M., Yenew Kassa, A., & Sommer, M. (2017). Teaching Girls About Puberty and Menstrual Hygiene Management in Rural Ethiopia: Findings From a Pilot Evaluation. Journal of Adolescent Research, 33(5), 623-646.
Smiles, D., Short S. & Sommer, M. (2017). I Didn't Tell Anyone Because I Was Very Afraid: Girls' experiences of menstruation in contemporary Ethiopia. Women’s Reproductive Health, 4(3), 185-197.
Scandurra, L., Khorn, D., Ashley-Charles, T.^ & Sommer, M. (2016). Cambodian boys’ transitions through puberty: Exploring the influence of masculinity norms on adolescent health. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 7(19), 767-780.
Sommer, M., Ackatia-Armah, N., Connolly, S., & Smiles, D. (2015). A comparison of the menstruation and education experiences of girls in Tanzania, Ghana, Cambodia and Ethiopia. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 45(4), 589-609.
Sommer, M., Likindikoki, S., & Kaaya, S. (2015). "Bend a fish when the fish is not yet dry": Adolescent boys' perception of sexual risk in Tanzania. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44(3), 583-595.
Sommer, M., Likindikoki, S., & Kaaya, S. (2014). Tanzanian adolescent boys’ transitions through puberty: The importance of context. American Journal of Public Health, 104(12), 2290-2297.
Sommer, M. & Ackatia-Armah, T. (2012). The gendered nature of schooling in Ghana: Hurdles to girls’ menstrual management in school. JENdA, 20, 63-79.
Sommer, M. Structural factors influencing menstruating school girls’ health and well-being in Tanzania. (2012). Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education.
Sommer, M. (2011). An Early Window of Opportunity for Promoting Girls Health: Policy Implications of the Girls Puberty Book Project in Tanzania. Global Journal of Health Education and Promotion, 14(1).
Sommer, M. (2009). Where the education system and women’s bodies collide: The social and health impact of girls’ experiences of menstruation and schooling in Tanzania. Journal of Adolescence, 33(4): 521-529.