ArticleWomen's health (London, England)
A bleeding shame: Period poverty, stigma and menstrual equity in a regional Australian university setting.
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. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BackgroundPeriod poverty, defined as inadequate access to menstrual products, education and supportive infrastructure, is recognised as a public health, equity and human rights issue in both low- and high-income settings.ObjectivesTo examine the extent and impact of period poverty among students at a regional Australian university, explore their lived experiences, coping strategies and the role of menstrual stigma, and evaluate awareness and use of Dignity Vending Machines (DVMs).DesignExploratory descriptive mixed-methods study.Study durationOctober 2023 to March 2024.MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was administered to students at a regional Australian university. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively. Semi-structured interviews and open-ended survey responses were analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke's framework.ResultsAmong survey respondents, 69.2% reported at least occasional difficulty affording menstrual products, with 14.4% reporting frequent or chronic difficulty. This lack of access led to missed classes (55.1%), work absence (31.9%) and avoidance of sporting or leisure activities (72.5%). Coping strategies included switching to cheaper products (75.5%), extending wear time (68.4%) and improvising with other materials (43.9%). Over half of respondents (58.3%) were unaware of DVMs, and operational problems reduced trust and usability. Qualitative analysis identified three themes: financial precarity and undignified coping; the emotional and psychological toll of menstrual stigma; and the imperative for normalisation and educational advocacy.ConclusionPeriod poverty is a complex biopsychosocial issue among regional Australian university students, disrupting education, work and social participation. Free product provision via DVMs is valued but underutilised. Universities should adopt strategies that combine reliable free access to products with menstrual health literacy, stigma reduction, and efforts to address financial hardship and social exclusion.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.