Menstruation Management in United States Schools and Implications for Attendance, Academic Performance, and Health

Abstract

Six hundred and ninety-three young women, 18–25 years old, all of whom had attended United States high schools, were surveyed to ask about their need for and the availability of menstrual hygiene products (MHPs) in high school and the impact, if any, that lack of access to MHPs in school had for their attendance, academic performance, and health. Most (640, 92.35%) needed MHPs while at school, but only 292 (42.13%) attended schools that provided MHPs (and those that did often required students to pay for them). Lack of access to MHPs resulted in 88 (12.7%) having missed school, 104 (15.01%) having been late to school, and 165 (23.91%) having left school early for the day. Lack of access was also identified by 122 (17.6%) respondents as having impacted their ability to learn and having resulted in health issues for 53 (7.65%) of them. There are statistically significant correlations between a school’s failure to provide MHPs and a student having missed school, having left school early, and negative impacts on their ability to learn.

Keywords:

• Menstruation
• menstrual hygiene products
• feminine hygiene products
• school
• adolescents
• USA

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Kellie E. Carlyle, PhD, MPH (VCU School of Medicine), Jesse Senechal, PhD (VCU School of Education), Jim Gibson, JD (University of Richmond School of Law), and Julia Gibson (William and Mary University) for comments and suggestions in the early stages of this project.

Disclosure Statement

The author has no conflicts to declare.