Keywords
Menstrual equity
Reproductive health in Latin America
How to Cite
Abstract
The Impact of Lack of Resources on Menstrual Health and the Need for Legislative Support and Education in Latin America” addresses the issue of menstrual poverty, which refers to the lack of hygiene products, adequate education, and access to sanitary services for the management of menstruation. This phenomenon particularly affects adolescents and young people in Latin America, where poverty and lack of infrastructure aggravate the risks to menstrual health, increasing the likelihood of infections and causing an emotional and psychological impact due to the social stigma associated with menstruation. Affected people resort to ineffective solutions, such as the use of inadequate materials, which further compromises their well-being. The study underlines the urgency of implementing public policies that guarantee access to menstrual hygiene products, improve sanitary infrastructure, and promote menstrual equity. It also highlights the need for educational campaigns that eliminate stigma and promote an adequate understanding of menstrual health.
References
Bildhauer, B., Rostvik, C. M. & Vostral, S. L. (2022). Introduction: The Period (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 in the Context of Menstrual Politics and History. Open Library of Humanities 8(1). https://doi.org/10.16995/olh.8159
Camas-Castillo, M. A., Gallardo- Alvarado, N., Yanez-Sanchez, P., Makuch, M. Y., Osis, M.
J. D., & Bahamondes, L. (2024). Menstrual health: Inequities in a cohort of menstruating people in the Brazilian southeastern region. International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics: The Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 164(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15223
Carriazo, M.I, Loboguerrero, M., y Villavieja, A.L. (2023). La lucha contra la pobreza menstrual en América Latina. Centro de Estudios Estratégicos de Relaciones Internacionales, p. 1- 21. https://www.ceeriglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/La-lucha-contra-la-pobreza-menstrual_Informe.docx.pdf
Davies, S., Darien, K., Bazyar, F., Biddle, J., Brown, B., Christman, C., Saurman, M.,
Wood, S., Thomas, D., & Dowshen, N. (2023). A Multimodal Qualitative Approach to Understanding Menstrual Health Equity among Adolescents and Young Adults. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 36(6), 511–517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2023.07.010
Directorate-General for International Partnerships. (2023, July 17). Global Gateway: EU builds new partnership for Latin American and Caribbean health technologies with Pan American Health Organization. European Commission. https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/global-gateway-eu-builds-new-partnership-improved-latin-american-and-caribbean-health-technologies-2023-07-17_en
Global Menstrual Collective. (s.f). Collective advocacy to drive action on and guide investments in menstrual health and hygiene. https://www.globalmenstrualcollective.org/
Hennegan, J., Shannon, A. K., Rubli, J., Schwab, K. J., & Melendez-Torres, G. J. (2019) Women’s and girls’ experiences of menstruation in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review and qualitative metasynthesis. PLoS Medicine 16(5), 1–40. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002803
Mann, S., & Byrne, S. K. (2023). Period Poverty from a Public Health and Legislative Perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20237118
Munro, C. B., Walker, E. N., Schembri, R., Moussaoui, D., & Grover, S. R. (2024). Periods Shouldn’t Bring Any Adolescents’ World to a Full Stop. Period. An Online Survey of Adolescent’s Experience of Menstruation. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 37(1), 18–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2023.09.004
Organización Panamericana de la Salud. (2020). Las funciones esenciales de la salud pública en las Américas. Una renovación para el siglo XXI. Marco conceptual y descripción. OPS. https://iris.paho.org/bitstream/handle/10665.2/53125/9789275322659_spa.pdf
Rodrigues-Ferreira, F. S., Balaminut, T., Valentim Carmona, E., & de Oliveira Sanfelice, C. F. (2023). Repercussions of Period Poverty for Women and People Who Menstruate: An Integrative Review. Revista Baiana de Enfermagem, 37, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.18471/rbe.v36.52708
Soeiro, R. E., Rocha, L., Surita, F. G., Bahamondes, L., & Costa, M. L. (2021). Period poverty: menstrual health hygiene issues among adolescent and young Venezuelan migrant women at the northwestern border of Brazil. Reproductive Health, 18(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01285-7
Sommer, M., & Mason, D. J. (2021). Period Poverty and Promoting Menstrual Equity. JAMA Health Forum, 2(8). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.3089
The Restoration Hem Project. (s.f.). Restoration hem partners. https://restorationhemproject.org/
United Nations. (2012). The 17 Goals. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. https://sdgs.un.org/goals
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (s.f.). A historic step for the cultural sector. https://www.unesco.org/en
Vollman, A. R., & Jackson, S. F. (2022). Canadian community as partner: theory and multidisciplinary practice (5th ed.). Wolters Kluwer"
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.