Assessing the availability and necessity of menstruation-friendly toilets in public and private sites in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

ABSTRACT Much of the world's public toilet infrastructure does not consider the needs of menstruators. Nepali menstruators, 18–52 years old, were surveyed at 40 different sites in three major cities in Nepal. During a random site visit, 20 eligible participants at each site were selected by convenience sampling to complete a quantitative survey assessing the importance of the eight aspects of a menstruation-friendly toilet, as outlined by the government of Nepal. Only 1 of 40 of the toilets assessed met all eight indicators of a menstruation-friendly toilet. None of the survey participants felt comfortable using a public toilet when menstruating, and 88.8% reported facing challenges using public toilets when menstruating.