Exploring the legal landscape of free menstrual products in schools: A scan of 50 states and DC.

Protocol for a Systematic Review: “No Excuses” Charter Schools for Increasing Math and Literacy Achievement in Primary and Secondary Education: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Feminine hygiene products such as tampons, pads, and sanitary tissues are crucial to a menstruating person’s health. Feminine hygiene products are a multi-billion-dollar industry, and over the course of a menstruator’s life, they spend between roughly $3000-$5000 on over 16,000 feminine hygiene products. Many financial barriers exist that prevent menstruators, most of whom self-identify as women, from accessing safe and healthy menstrual hygiene products. A disproportionately high number of women, especially women of color, live in poverty. As a result, purchasing feminine hygiene products often poses a substantial financial burden, sometimes preventing women from being able to buy feminine hygiene products at all or forcing them to choose between purchasing food or feminine hygiene products. This phenomenon is referred to as “period poverty.” Due to a lack of access to appropriate menstrual products, many women report substituting debris items, which lead to severe health complications such as toxic shock syndrome and cervical cancer. In addition to potential health risks, there are often negative social consequences associated with menstruation as many women report having to leave their workplace or school due to experiencing an emergency menstruation event and not finding feminine hygiene products publicly available. A plethora of slang words and negative cultural connotations are frequently associated with menstruation, and many women report feelings of stress and anxiety due to the many facets of menstruation symptom management and resource allocation. New York City made feminine hygiene products free in public schools, prisons, and homeless shelters, providing 323,000 menstruators with free products at a cost of roughly $5.88 per person per year, which is cost-effective. Nations such as Kenya, Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland have also led initiatives highlighting the cost-effective public health benefit of improving access to menstrual hygiene products.

Period Poverty in Public Schools: A Neglected Issue in Adolescent Health

We examine the characteristics of schools preferred by parents in New Orleans, Louisiana, where a “portfolio” of school choices is available. This tests the conditions under which school choice induces healthy competition between public and private schools through the threat of student exit. Using unique data from parent applications to as many as eight different schools (including traditional public, charter, and private schools), we find that many parents include a mix of public and private schools among their preferences, often ranking public schools alongside or even above private schools on a unified application. Parents who list both public and private schools show a preference for the private sector, all else equal, and are willing to accept lower school performance scores for private schools than otherwise equivalent public options. These parents reveal a stronger preference for academic outcomes than other parents and place less value on other school characteristics such as sports, arts, or extended hours. Public schools are more likely to be ranked with private schools and to be ranked higher as their academic performance scores increase.

The study assessed menstrual hygiene management (MHM) inequalities among public and private in-school adolescents in Badagry, southwest Nigeria. Also assessed was the impact of available water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities on MHM within the school premises. For this descriptive cross-sectional study, 420 students were selected via multi-stage sampling and data were obtained via a validated semi-structured questionnaire and observational checklist. Data were analysed at 95% confidence limit. The students had a mean age of 15.3 ± 1.6 years. All the private schools had functioning WASH facilities whereas only 50% of public schools did. The toilet to student ratios for the private and public schools were 1:155 and 1:296, respectively. Over two-thirds (67.1%) of the students reportedly use sanitary napkins for MHM, followed by tissue (17.1%) and clothes (15.5%). Additionally, the private school students were two times less likely to use alternatives to sanitary napkins and 9.8 times more likely to obtain sanitary materials at school if required (p < 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of public-school menstruating in-school adolescents changed their sanitary towels in the bush (p=0.003) due to lack of privacy and took their used sanitary materials home (p < 0.001) for management due to reduced access to sanitary bins. Even though the situation in the public schools was worse, both public and private schools lack the enabling environment for MHM. School health promotion interventions, such as provision of subsidised/affordable menstrual pads and basic WASH facilities and campaigns to break the culture of silence are required for the wellbeing of girls.

BackgroundMenstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is a human rights issue; yet, it remains a challenge for many, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). MHH includes the socio-political, psychosocial, and environmental factors that impact women’s menstrual experiences. High proportions of girls and women in LMICs have inadequate MHH due to limited access to menstrual knowledge, products, and stigma reinforcing harmful myths and taboos. The aim of this pilot was to inform the design of an MHH sub-study and the implementation and scale-up of an MHH intervention incorporated into a community-based cluster-randomized trial of integrated sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for youth in Zimbabwe. The objectives were to investigate (1) uptake of a novel MHH intervention, (2) menstrual product preference, and (3) the factors that informed uptake and product choice among young women.MethodsFemale participants aged 16–24 years old attending the community-based SRH services between April and July 2019 were offered the MHH intervention, which included either a menstrual cup or reusable pads, analgesia, and MHH education. Descriptive statistics were used to quantitatively assess uptake and product choice. Focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with participants and the intervention team were used to investigate the factors that influenced uptake and product choice.ResultsOf the 1732 eligible participants, 1414 (81.6%) took up the MHH intervention at first visit. Uptake differed by age group with 84.6% of younger women (16–19 years old) compared to 79.0% of older women (20–24 years old) taking up the intervention. There was higher uptake of reusable pads (88.0%) than menstrual cups (12.0%). Qualitative data highlighted that internal factors, such as intervention delivery, influenced uptake. Participants noted the importance of access to free menstrual products, analgesics, and MHH education in a youth-friendly environment. External factors such as sociocultural factors informed product choice. Barriers to cup uptake included fears that the cup would compromise young women’s virginity.ConclusionsPilot findings were used to improve the MHH intervention design and implementation as follows: (1) cup ambassadors to improve cup promotion, sensitization, and uptake; (2) use of smaller softer cups; and (3) education for community members including caregivers and partners.Trial registrationRegistry: Clinicaltrials.govRegistration Number: NCT03719521Registration Date: 25 October 2018

BackgroundStudies have proven that lack of access to menstruation products negatively affects school attendance, academic performance, and individual health. Implementing “period policies,” or programs offering free menstruation products, are becoming popular in schools, businesses, and communities in high-income countries. U.S.-based Purdue University announced in February 2020 that free pads and tampons would be stocked in all women’s and gender-neutral restrooms in campus buildings. This study aimed to capture the experiences of menstruators about free menstrual products and the impact of a university-wide free menstruation management product policy and program. A second purpose was to understand how access to menstrual management products is intertwined with broader socio-cultural experiences of a menstruator.MethodsAs part of a larger study, virtual focus group discussions (n = 32 across 5 focus groups) were conducted in February 2021. Eligible participants were student-menstruators attending Purdue University. We used thematic analysis techniques for data analysis, allowing for a constant comparative approach to data contextualization and theme identification.ResultsFocus group discussions revealed vivid menarche and menstruation experiences, shifting period culture, recollections of shame and stigma, and use of various technologies to manage menstruation. Recommendations for community-based programs offering free products included maintaining stock, making informed product choices, and broadly distributing program information to increase awareness of free product placements.ConclusionsFindings offer practical recommendations that will contribute to menstruation management and period poverty solutions for university communities.

BackgroundThere has been increasing recognition that certain vulnerable populations in the United States of America struggle to meet their menstruation-related needs, including people experiencing homelessness. Media and policy attention on this subject has focused on the provision of free menstrual products to vulnerable populations, including a New York City legislative bill, which guarantees access to menstrual products for Department of Homeless Services shelter residents (Intros 1123-A).MethodsThis qualitative study explored the challenges people experiencing homelessness in New York City face in accessing menstrual products. Data collection was conducted from June to August 2019 and included: Semi-structured key informant interviews with staff from relevant government agencies and homeless service providers (n = 15), and semi-structured in-depth interviews with individuals with experience living on the street and in shelters (n = 22). Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsKey themes that emerged included: (1) insufficient and inconsistent access to menstrual products; (2) systemic challenges to providing menstrual products; and (3) creative solutions to promote access to menstrual products. Both shelter- and street-living individuals reported significant barriers to accessing menstrual products. While both populations struggle, those in shelters were more likely to be able to purchase menstrual products or access free products at their shelter, while those living on the streets were more likely to have to resort to panhandling, theft, or using makeshift materials in place of menstrual products. Across both populations, individuals described barriers to accessing free products at shelters and service providers, primarily due to distribution systems that rely on gatekeepers to provide a few pads or tampons at a time, sometimes of inadequate quality and only upon request. Shelters and service providers also described challenges providing these products, including inconsistent supply.ConclusionThese findings highlight the critical importance of expanding and improving initiatives seeking to provide access to menstrual products for vulnerable populations. Despite policy level efforts to support menstrual product access, individuals experiencing homelessness in New York City, whether living in shelters or on the street, are often not able to access the menstrual products that they need to manage their monthly menstrual flow.

Purpose: Health authorities recommend schools play a major role in providing and promoting physical activity (PA). School choice legislation has led to increases in both public charter schools and private schools, and these have greater flexibility in curriculum, staffing, and other practices than traditional public schools. Most schools have public websites for informing constituents about their goals, curricula, and programs. Little is known, however, about how they use websites to provide information about and advocate for PA programs. Thus, we compared how selected PA programs were represented on public charter and private elementary school websites. Methods: We conducted a systematic content analysis of the websites of 520 public charter and 990 private schools in California that included grades 1–5 and compared how they represented PE, interscholastic sport, and other PA opportunities. Results: Websites mentioned PA programs infrequently and provided little information about them. PE was the PA program mentioned most often on both charter (30.8%) and private (71.3%) school websites, but information about its frequency, duration, curricula, and who taught it was comparatively scarce (range: charter (4.8 − 22.5%); private (11.2 − 54.8%). More private than charter school websites mentioned interscholastic sport (45.6% vs. 16.5%, p <.001) and other extracurricular PA programs (26.8% vs. 20.4%, p =.006). Conclusion: Although available in nearly all schools, website content about PA/PE was limited. In this regard, however, private school websites were more fully developed than those in public charter schools.

Prevalence of food allergy in New York City school children

Access to private schools and public charter schools might improve parent and student satisfaction through competitive pressures and improved matches between educators and students. Using ordered probit regression analysis and a nationally representative sample of 13,436 students in the United States in 2016, I compare satisfaction levels of parents and students by school sector. I find that public charter schools and private schools outperform traditional public schools on six measures of parent and student satisfaction. Respondents with children in private schools also tend to report higher levels of satisfaction than respondents with children in public charter schools. These results tend to support the theory that access to public charter and private schools could lead to higher levels of satisfaction for families and students. However, although several control variables are included in the analytic models, the results may still be affected by selection bias.

Background:Period products like pads, tampons, and a variety of disposable and reusable hygiene supplies constitute just one facet essential for effectively managing menstruation in a way that allows an individual to feel comfortable carrying out their daily routine. Given the absence of comprehensive public policies ensuring access to period products for economically disadvantaged menstruating individuals, community-based basic needs banks, particularly period supply banks, were established to alleviate the challenges faced by those experiencing period product insecurity. These initiatives specifically aim to furnish essential menstrual products to individuals in need.Objectives:This study aimed to assess any organizational benefits experienced by community-based organizations distributing period products on behalf of period supply banks.Design:This cross-sectional study is a formative evaluation of the distribution of free period products by period supply banks, which provide access to essential menstrual hygiene products for individuals in need through partnership with community-based partner agencies.Methods:Staff members at agencies distributing period products were invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey at two different time points about their agency’s experiences distributing free period products. All participants provided informed consent via the web-based survey.Results:Agency staff reported that since they started providing period products, clients were more likely to: start a conversation about other needs (66.7%), extend the length of their relationship with the agency (60.0%), keep scheduled appointments (62.1%), ask for assistance with another need (75.0%), communicate between visits (42.4%), participate in other agency programming (55.9%), and seek other agency services (73.5%). Due to a shortage of period products, 41% of agencies have had to turn away clients needing period supplies.Conclusion:Period supply banks, in collaboration with community-based partner agencies, enhance access to both menstrual products and the associated support, fostering engagement with diverse resources and opportunities among recipients. However, addressing unmet needs necessitates policies and additional funding to ensure universal access to essential hygiene supplies for everyone to thrive and actively participate in society.

There is a long-standing debate in public administration as to the differences and similarities in management practices across sectors. A number of scholars have argued for market-based reforms as a means to transform and improve public sector services, including the educational system. Charter schools have emerged as a reform that proposes to improve the educational system through choice, competition, and autonomy from the bureaucracy of traditional public school districts, but their implications are not fully understood. This mixed-method study analyzes differences in human resource management practices across traditional public, charter, and private schools, with a focus on formalization and autonomy. In support of other research on public-private management differences, this analysis suggests that traditional public schools are more formalized and have less autonomy than private and charter schools. Findings provide support for the utility of a core approach that distinguishes between public and private organizations based on ownership. The study suggests that ownership has a significant influence on personnel management practices, but that funding generally does not.

Introduction/Aim: According to the data of the World Bank, period poverty affects about 500 million women worldwide. Inadequate sanitary conditions and the unavailability of menstrual products, as well as their inadequate use, can lead to serious disorders of women's health. The aim of this study was to analyze the behavior and attitudes of female medical students regarding menstrual products. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade, in the period 16-29 May 2024. year. The sample consisted of 277 medical students. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The ch2 test was used for the statistical analysis of data. Results: 5.1% of female students had problems with obtaining menstrual products during the last 12 months. Statistically significantly more often this problem was experienced by older than younger female students, while a statistically significant difference was not observed between female students with a permanent place of residence in the city and female students with a permanent place of residence in the countryside, as well as between female students of I-III and IV-V years of study. In such situations, 1.4% of female students used a substitute for a given menstrual product (eg cloth, toilet paper, etc.), 1.8% borrowed menstrual products from friends, relatives, etc., 1.1% used menstrual products for longer than they usually do and 4.7% bought cheaper menstrual products. The majority of female students (97.8%) expressed their wish for all school girls and female students in Serbia to have free products necessary for maintaining hygiene during menstruation. Conclusion: It is necessary to continuously examine the behavior and attitudes of female students regarding menstrual products and the factors associated with them, both at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade and at all other faculties, and use the results obtained as a basis for the creation and implementation of activities aimed at preserving and improving the health and quality of life of female students.

The issue of menstrual health has gained significant traction in recent years as a fundamental aspect of public health, with significant relevance in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) [1]. Research, practice, and policy addressing menstrual hygiene management (MHM) engages a growing number of actors, including researchers, practitioners, donors, policy makers, social entrepreneurs, national governments, advocates, and civil society. Globally, these actors work to address the social, environmental, and political factors that reinforce menstruation-related challenges experienced by girls and women in varying contexts. To date, the largest body of evidence in the space collectively referred to here as menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) originates from descriptive qualitative and quantitative studies among girls in school, exploring the barriers they face with the onset of menstruation [2,3]. These challenges often reflect the insufficient education and guidance girls receive prior to their first menstrual period (menarche) from their families, communities or the education system. Other barriers are tied to the on-going stigma and taboos relating to menstruation that reinforce the need for secrecy and silence on menstrual management and enforce behavioral restrictions around (1) sleeping arrangements, (2) engaging in prayers or household chores, and (3) school participation. Additionally, inadequate access to clean and safe toilets with water, lacking disposal mechanisms for used menstrual materials, and inadequate menstrual products and related supplies, such as underwear, leave girls with limited agency to manage their menstrual periods [3]. In recent years, additional evidence has emerged from pilot intervention trials conducted with schoolgirls that have assessed the impact of the delivery of menstrual products and information on sexual and reproductive health outcomes, and educational performance [4,5]. There is an urgent need to rigorously assess the impact of the many MHH interventions currently being deployed in numerous LMIC. Another emerging area is humanitarian contexts, with researchers and practitioners focusing on the MHH needs of the over 30 million internally displaced and refugee girls and women around the world, and how to more effectively deliver holistic MHH solutions in such contexts [6]. Additional MHH learnings are needed in countries and contexts where the menstruation-related challenges facing girls have not yet been explored, and although some studies have included the MHH needs of out of school girls [7] and girls with disabilities [8], these are areas in need of additional exploration.