Students' Menstrual Hygiene Needs and School Attendance in an Urban St. Louis, Missouri, District

Abstract

PurposeTo assess the menstrual hygiene needs and related school absences among female students in an urban St. Louis, MO district. MethodsStudents (n = 58) completed a self-administered survey during registration and orientation before the 2019–2020 school year. ResultsNearly half (48.3%) needed period products at least once last school year but did not have money to buy them. The majority (62.1%) accessed period products at school last year. Seventeen percent missed at least one day at school because of an inadequate supply of period products, including significantly more ninth graders than 10th–12th graders (33.3% vs. 6.1%, respectively, p < .01). ConclusionsStudents reported a substantial need for menstrual hygiene products but also frequent utilization of school resources to access products. Given that incoming ninth graders reported more absences related to an inadequate supply of products, the district may need to focus more attention on this issue in the junior high school and younger grades.