ArticleWomen's health (London, England)
A pilot survey of students' menstrual attitudes, experiences, and needs on an urban university campus.
Article in Women's health (London, England). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Menstrual Equity: A Survey Study with ZIP-Code Level Analysis.Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM · 2026Article
- Review
- A bleeding shame: Period poverty, stigma and menstrual equity in a regional Australian university setting.Women's health (London, England)Article
- Bleeding barriers: Reimaging menstrual health research through a global and interdisciplinary perspective.Women's health (London, England)Article
- Measuring menstrual hygiene in high-income countries: A scoping review.Women's health (London, England)Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
backgroundIn the United States, many menstruators face barriers to period management, such as period poverty, or the lack of access to relevant knowledge and affordable menstrual products. Our current understanding of the social, emotional, and physical impacts of period poverty on students in post-secondary institutions is largely limited.
objectivesThe purpose of this pilot study is to assess period poverty, period-related class disruption, and avoidance of menstrual hygiene management on campus among students and to identify recommendations for action at the University of Illinois Chicago and other urban universities.
designAn online cross-sectional study from February to May 2023.
methodsEnrolled students who were at least 18 years old completed an anonymous, self-administered online survey. Through descriptive statistics and chi-square tests in SAS version 9.4, we analyzed the sociodemographic, academic, and menstrual characteristics of those who had a period in the past 12 months. We also performed a thematic analysis of students' open-ended responses regarding their menstrual experiences on campus.
resultsOf our sample (N = 106), 17.1% of students have faced period poverty, 55.8% experienced period-related class disruption, and 47.5% avoided changing their menstrual products on campus. The relationships between the three menstrual experiences were statistically significant. In the open responses, students reported that their personal experiences with menstruation were largely painful and disruptive. We identified the following themes: (1) inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities; (2) understocked, empty, or non-existent menstrual product dispensers; (3) a desire for additional resources for menstruation; and (4) the unpredictability of menstruation.
conclusionOur findings indicate that students continue to face obstacles to menstruation management due to inadequate support related to menstrual infrastructure, products, and pain. We outline several recommendations for university/college institutions to prioritize a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students.
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