Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti
Plain language summary Adolescents and young adult (AYA) females in low- and middle-income countries can often lack adequate access to materials to manage their menstruation, in addition to safe spaces to change those materials. This lack of access, in addition to low levels of reproductive health e...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Reproductive Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01533-4 |
| _version_ | 1797977386997776384 |
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| author | Emily R. Rupe Jonathan Rodean Emily A. Hurley Melissa K. Miller Marie Daphnee Boncoeur Abbey R. Masonbrink |
| author_facet | Emily R. Rupe Jonathan Rodean Emily A. Hurley Melissa K. Miller Marie Daphnee Boncoeur Abbey R. Masonbrink |
| author_sort | Emily R. Rupe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plain language summary Adolescents and young adult (AYA) females in low- and middle-income countries can often lack adequate access to materials to manage their menstruation, in addition to safe spaces to change those materials. This lack of access, in addition to low levels of reproductive health education, can cause AYAs to miss school, leading to increased risk of worse psychosocial and educational outcomes. In addition, disasters (e.g., earthquakes) are linked with unsafe living environments and sanitation facilities for women. We sought to describe AYA menstrual practices and perspectives on menstrual hygiene in rural Haiti. In two rural communities in Haiti, AYA females aged 14–24 years answered questions on their demographics and menstrual hygiene practices and environments. Two-thirds of AYAs had unmet menstrual hygiene needs and three-quarters reported they skipped school (with any frequency) due to their menses. Further, more than half worried that something or someone would harm them while they were changing their menstrual materials at home and at school. AYA females often lacked a safe environment to change their menstrual materials. Given recent disasters and political unrest in Haiti, (August 2021 earthquake), it is important to improve menstrual hygiene in these LMICs to ensure safe enviornments for managing menstruation and school attendance and ultimately improve psychosocial and health outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:06:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-201fe498d0ad4b7e8590486d21266ea8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1742-4755 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:06:05Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Reproductive Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-201fe498d0ad4b7e8590486d21266ea82022-12-25T12:18:25ZengBMCReproductive Health1742-47552022-12-0119111010.1186/s12978-022-01533-4Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural HaitiEmily R. Rupe0Jonathan Rodean1Emily A. Hurley2Melissa K. Miller3Marie Daphnee Boncoeur4Abbey R. Masonbrink5University of Kansas School of MedicineChildren’s Hospital AssociationDepartment of Pediatrics, Children’s Mercy HospitalDepartment of Pediatrics, Children’s Mercy HospitalMaison de NaissanceDepartment of Pediatrics, Children’s Mercy HospitalPlain language summary Adolescents and young adult (AYA) females in low- and middle-income countries can often lack adequate access to materials to manage their menstruation, in addition to safe spaces to change those materials. This lack of access, in addition to low levels of reproductive health education, can cause AYAs to miss school, leading to increased risk of worse psychosocial and educational outcomes. In addition, disasters (e.g., earthquakes) are linked with unsafe living environments and sanitation facilities for women. We sought to describe AYA menstrual practices and perspectives on menstrual hygiene in rural Haiti. In two rural communities in Haiti, AYA females aged 14–24 years answered questions on their demographics and menstrual hygiene practices and environments. Two-thirds of AYAs had unmet menstrual hygiene needs and three-quarters reported they skipped school (with any frequency) due to their menses. Further, more than half worried that something or someone would harm them while they were changing their menstrual materials at home and at school. AYA females often lacked a safe environment to change their menstrual materials. Given recent disasters and political unrest in Haiti, (August 2021 earthquake), it is important to improve menstrual hygiene in these LMICs to ensure safe enviornments for managing menstruation and school attendance and ultimately improve psychosocial and health outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01533-4 |
| spellingShingle | Emily R. Rupe Jonathan Rodean Emily A. Hurley Melissa K. Miller Marie Daphnee Boncoeur Abbey R. Masonbrink Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti Reproductive Health |
| title | Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti |
| title_full | Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti |
| title_fullStr | Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti |
| title_full_unstemmed | Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti |
| title_short | Menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural Haiti |
| title_sort | menstrual health among adolescents and young adults in rural haiti |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01533-4 |
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