Menstrual hygiene access and practices in Latin America: scoping review.
Viviane Caroline de Oliveira, Érica Dumont Pena, Gisele Nepomuceno de Andrade and 1 others
PMID 37878965WHAT IT FOUND
Menstrual hygiene evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean is limited.
Mapped studies report lack of pads, clean water, private toilets and information, and school absence alongside these barriers.
Key findings
01The review included 15 publications.
02The included documents were organised into three recurring themes: access to dignified conditions, access to information, and menstrual hygiene practices.
03Mapped findings reported difficulty accessing toilets, privacy, clean water and absorbent materials, including at school, and school absenteeism; they also reported lack of information and discomfort seeking guidance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Most included studies relied on self-reported measures, and because menstruation is taboo, under-reporting may underestimate access problems. The search did not use specific terms for transgender people, so that group may have been underrepresented. The review found few studies, and some vulnerable groups, such as people deprived of liberty or homeless, were not represented. The included studies covered only a limited range of menstrual hygiene practices, and some practices were poorly reported.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict of interest statement is given in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as evidence that providing pads, toilets or education improves menstrual health or school attendance. It maps reported barriers and associations, not tested effects.