IDIAPJGol research influences public policies

The impact of the studies on equity and menstrual health carried out by the Institute’s Transversal Research Unit, together with the initiatives arising from feminist and community movements, have influenced the implementation of the campaign La meva regla, les meves regles, promoted by the Department of Equality and Feminisms of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia.

The research carried out by the Institut d’Investigació en Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol (IDIAPJGol) on equity and menstrual health, together with other studies on the issue and the actions of community groups and feminist movements, have influenced the implementation of the campaign La meva regla, les meves regles, promoted by the Department of Equality and Feminisms of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. The main measure of this initiative is the offering of free reusable menstrual products, which came into effect this week.

The research led by the researcher from the IDIAPJGol Transversal Research Unit, Laura Medina-Perucha, relates economic inequalities with menstrual health and warns of the need to address menstrual inequities in public policies and consider menstrual health as a global health problem.

Medina-Perucha highlights that “being able to access free menstrual products can benefit the most vulnerable populations, affected by social inequities, both from an economic and health point of view.” It must be considered that the research led by the IDIAPJGol researcher concludes that women and menstruating people who have fewer economic resources have worse menstrual health. However, Medina-Perucha affirms that they will have to “guarantee that these measures are maintained over time and evaluate their effects.”

However, the researcher from the IDIAPJGol Transversal Research Unit considers that facilitating access to products is only part of the solution to the problem of menstrual inequalities and must be accompanied by other social, educational and health measures.

Starting this week, women and menstruating people in Catalonia can request a QR code from the La Meva Salut application, that gives access to ordering a menstrual cup, menstrual panties or a pack of cloth pads at the pharmacy. These are reusable products that avoid the production of waste.