Almost one in five teenagers reports skipping school during menstruation
A study coordinated by IDIAPJGol highlights the need to strengthen menstrual education in the classroom, reduce menstrual poverty, and decrease absenteeism during menstruation
The study, led by IDIAPJGol researcher Laura Medina Perucha, underscores the necessity of designing menstrual education interventions in collaboration with students, taking into account gender dynamics and sexist attitudes. Published in the journal Gaceta Sanitaria, the study examines secondary school students' knowledge about menstruation, the use of menstrual products, and the challenges related to menstruation faced by adolescents at this educational stage. The research includes the experiences of over 800 young people aged 14 to 18 who are in their fourth year of secondary education at 17 high schools in Catalonia.
Combating menstrual inequity
The study is part of a strategy coordinated by the Department of Equality and Feminism, with the involvement of the Departments of Health, Education, and Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing, and Food of the Generalitat of Catalonia. The aim is to address menstrual inequity and promote menstrual health within the framework of social health inequalities and social justice. This program seeks to foster menstrual education, the use of reusable menstrual products, and reduce menstrual poverty, which is understood as the economic difficulties in accessing menstrual products.
In May 2022, the Generalitat of Catalonia conducted the workshops “La meva regla, les meves regles” (My Period, My Rules) at 24 secondary schools across Catalonia. Each workshop, lasting one and a half hours, included an informational session, consultations, reflections, and the distribution of reusable menstrual products to women and people who menstruate.
Results
The research team conducted a survey and focus groups after the workshops to evaluate the acceptability of the intervention. The results show that 19.4% stopped attending school during menstruation in the six months prior to the study. Between 10.9% and 16.4% reported menstrual poverty, and 29% claimed to have taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of menstrual products after the workshops.
On the other hand, nearly half of the women (48.7%) reported that they talked more about menstruation after the activity, while one-third of the men (33.2%) said they had not delved further into the topic. 30.1% of women and people who menstruate reported using reusable menstrual products, although they expressed some doubts about using menstrual cups. However, 14.8% of women and people who menstruate said they received negative comments related to menstruation from peers after the workshop.
Lack of Adequate Spaces
A significant result of the study is the difficulties students face in managing menstruation within the school environment due to the lack of appropriate and accessible spaces. Young women indicated that the workshop did not help in raising awareness among teachers about this issue. Moreover, although the activity included reflections on the role men can play in achieving menstrual equity, some boys showed reluctance towards the workshop and had difficulties discussing the topic.
The study coordinator, Laura Medina Perucha, and the lead author, Andrea García-Egea, emphasize that “interventions should provide supportive spaces to address students concerns in a dialogical manner”. The IDIAPJGol researchers add that these interventions “should be parallel to an institutional transformation that facilitates menstrual management in schools, while also addressing menstrual poverty and the presenteeism and absenteeism associated with menstruation”.
Article reference
García-Egea A*, López-Jiménez T*, Jacques-Aviñó C*, Morero Beltrán AM, Pi Sánchez A, Martínez-Bueno C, Carrilero-Carrió N, Berenguera A*, Medina-Perucha L*. Experiencias menstruales y aceptabilidad de una intervención sobre equidad menstrual en adolescentes en Cataluña [Menstrual experiences and acceptability of a menstrual equity intervention among adolescents in Catalonia (Spain)]. Gac Sanit. 2024 Jul 23;38:102415. Spanish. doi: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2024.102415. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39047371.
*IDIAPJGol researchers
