Menstrual Hygiene Management among Homeless Women With Mental Illness in St. Louis Metropolitan Area: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Existing evidence shows homeless and low-income women have difficulty accessing menstrual hygiene products and services. This study explores the menstrual hygiene management (MHM) experiences of 15 homeless women with mental illnesses served by a behavioral health agency in St. Louis, Missouri. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted in a private setting at participants’ convenience. Participants were asked about experiences with periods during homelessness, to include symptoms experienced, hygiene methods used, whether support was available, and their assessment of mental-health impacts. Our results support existing findings, highlighting a need for greater access to MHM products and safe access to bathing and laundry services.

Keywords:

• Homelessness
• menstruation
• mental illness
• stigma
• hygiene

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the women who agreed to participate in the study without any compensation and provided us with their experiences and suggestions for hope of a better future for all menstruating individuals. We would also like to thank Kayla Buttafuoco for helping with interviews transcriptions.