Public Bathrooms Research Articles

A qualitative inquiry into the lived experiences of menstrual health and hygiene in the transgender and non-binary people in urban areas of India

Significance Most global research on menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) focuses on cisgender women and girls, with limited evidence on the experiences of transgender and non-binary (TNB) people. This study aimed to document the lived experiences of menstruation management among TNB people in urban India. Methods We conducted 13 semi-structured interviews with TNB adults aged 19–40 years in three major Indian cities in collaboration with community organizations. We asked participants to share their experiences of managing menstruation in multiple spaces of life, e.g. at home, school, workplace, and other public spaces. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and cleaned. After a deductive and inductive process of developing a code book, we coded transcripts and developed code summaries to identify emergent themes. Results We identified three major themes in MHH for TNB urban Indians: (i) gendering of menstruation, (ii) navigating physical aspects of menstruation, and (iii) challenges beyond bleeding. ‘Gendering of menstruation’ shaped overall experiences of MHH among participants. Gendered expectations upon menarche triggered gender dysphoria. Participants reported having little knowledge about menstruation prior to menarche, which led to a state of confusion and shame, and exacerbated their dysphoria from gendering of norms around menstruation. ‘Navigating physical aspects of menstruation’ was less challenging in familiar, private surroundings, however, accessing public spaces and bathrooms remained a major challenge and stressor. Though many participants reported undergoing hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) in part to suppress menstruation, they continued experiencing menstrual symptoms which triggered continued dysphoria. Participants reported facing ‘challenges beyond bleeding’ which included burden of multiple diseases, mis-gendered healthcare services, and lack of social support. Discussion Documenting the lived experiences of menstrual health and hygiene among TNB people supports the call to ‘de-gender’ menstruation. Magnifying the voices and lived experienced of TNB people can bolster the development of effective interventions to enhance their wellbeing.

A Survey of Free Menstrual Supplies in Public Places in China and The Experience of Spain

At present, many public places such as schools, workplaces and public bathrooms in our country have had popularization and action in providing menstrual supplies for free, this initiative aims to reduce the economic burden on women, and ensure that all women can get the products needed for menstrual periods, and the health care of the sanitary napkin is also the progress of humanity. This paper will discuss the current situation of providing free menstrual products in public places in China through literature survey, questionnaire survey, comparative research and other research methods, and provide some suggestions and ideas for the development of this action.

Theorising Girls Room Graff: Networking Affirmation to Counter Misogyny

Abstract The harmful impact of misogyny on women as we take part in public life is not a new problem. And despite its early promise as a space open to all, the online world has not tempered misogynistic responses to women having opinions. What is easier to see in online interaction is the ‘networking’ of misogyny— hostile commentators ‘piling on’ and coordinating harassment. I explore the need for solutions by surveying contemporary feminist analyses of online misogyny, and considering whether the ‘mobbing’ theorised in bullying literature might be useful in understanding ‘pile on’ behaviours. My case study, a 2013 Tumblr site called Girls Room Graff, archives graffiti taken from women’s public bathrooms in bars and restaurants, thereby serving a purpose subversive of networked misogyny: it piles on validation and affirmation to empower the reader. I argue this is one way of doing politics of care from a feminist peace studies standpoint.

Bacteriological analysis on the faucet surfaces of public bathrooms in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

Bacteriological analysis on the faucet surfaces of public bathrooms in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

I Need to Pee! Gender Inequalities and (In-)Accessibility of Public Restrooms in London

When analysing how cities and public facilities – especially public bathrooms – are designed, gendered perspectives are often neglected. This paper investigates the eff ects of the inaccessibility of public bathrooms on women's lives in London. Informed by a feminist lens, the research shows that many public bathrooms are inaccessible and unsafe, making it women's priority to avoid bathrooms throughout the day. This has effects on women's health and their understanding of bodily sensations. This inaccessibility leads women to plan ahead, limiting their ability to be spontaneous within public spaces, and using 'just in case' visits to bathroom facilities before leaving a place to minimize the risk of having to look for one later in the day. (In-)accessibility of public bathrooms is a long-lasting issue which has been translated into the creation of a cross-generational, non-formal bathroom education between women of diff erent generations. Overall, tensions and difficulties arising from women's (in-)accessibility to decent bathroom facilities means that their basic human rights are often denied, and their everyday life signi ficantly aff ected. As a response to such intersectional inequalities, women develop adaptative strategies, fostering their resilience as they reclaim their urban and public life.

Construction of Diversified Public Bathrooms: The Awakening of the Awareness of Transgender Groups Rights and Interests Protection in Country X

In current societies, sexual minorities are often discriminated against when using corporate measures in public places. When transgender people use unisex bathrooms in public places, they feel uncomfortable and are determined against by others. This study focuses on whether a diverse public bathroom is constructed to allow transgender people to use the bathroom generally in public places. This study will analyze the legal soundness of this idea before completing an entire program for constructing multi-gender public bathrooms. This paper focuses on the legal rights of sexual minorities in Country X in their daily lives and why people have the right to build separate bathrooms for transgender people in public places. The authors hope that this study can promote peoples thinking about gender equality and the awakening of sexual minorities awareness of protecting their rights.

Increasing Community Economic Capability Through Optimizing Urban Farming Areas

This service program aims to optimize the urban farming area in Genitri Village, Pisang Candi Subdistrict, Malang City so that it can produce processed agricultural products with high marketability. Partners have problems regarding the unavailability of facilities and infrastructure to support urban farming activities. The service team was also present in the work program, including adding varieties of vegetable and fruit plants, building irrigation and sanitation channels, building public bathrooms, making processed agricultural products, and marketing products. The results of the service show that optimizing facilities and infrastructure can help make it easier for residents to cultivate urban farming areas to produce processed products with high selling value. The profits obtained from selling processed agricultural products are proven to provide high profits so that they can improve the economy of residents as MSMEs

“The Rosa Parks of the trans bathroom debate”: Gavin Grimm and the racialization of transgender civil rights

ABSTRACT Gavin Grimm, a white transgender boy from Virginia, successfully sued his school board in Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board and helped secure the right for trans and gender nonconforming students to use public school bathrooms that correspond to their gender identities. His 2021 victory was the culmination of a long legal battle that began in 2014, when the Gloucester County School Board (GCSB) passed a resolution that segregated bathrooms on the basis of “biological gender.” This essay considers the two GCSB meetings at which this resolution was debated as instances of “ordinary democracy,” where local practices of deliberation not only set policy but also sustain community and produce shared opinion. Drawing on Black trans scholarship that proposes the transitivity of Blackness and demonstrates how Blackness is made present in the service of whiteness, I examine how the discussions at the GCSB meetings strategically mobilized civil rights rhetoric and histories of racial segregation to debate Gavin’s entitlement to public space. Blackness, I argue, is invoked and disavowed as a condition of possibility for modern white trans identities and a resource for vernacular articulations of the scope of trans rights.

The domestic bathroom: a strongbox for gender performativity and transgression

ABSTRACT Public bathrooms are key sites for understanding gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations that are out of the norm. Research has shown that they are places of discrimination but they also provide opportunities for transgression. Domestic bathrooms, however, have not received much attention. Through the experiences of 27 LGBT+ youth from Bages, an interior region of Catalonia, this research shows how the bathroom at home is a significant place where gender and sexual norms are reproduced and transgressed. Using a qualitative methodology, I examine how LGBT+ youth experience the domestic bathroom, both in the family home and their own home, according to their age, gender, and sexual orientation. The domestic bathroom is shown to be relevant in terms of gender performativity and sexuality and a place of privacy where gender expression is tested and sexual pleasure is enjoyed. The study sheds light on the understanding of how social norms around gender and sexuality work, destabilizing the conception of cisheterosexuality as something innate.

Selecting the Safest Public Bathroom Stall in the Era of COVID-19

COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases can be transmitted through contact with shared surfaces such as those found in public bathrooms. High-touch surfaces such as door handles, flush levers and toilet paper dispensers can potentially contribute to spreading disease-inducing viruses and bacteria. One strategy to mitigate this risk at an individual level is to use the least used bathroom stall, with less human traffic and potentially fewer pathogens. This study looked at occupancy rates of bathroom stalls in a public facility. Observation of stall occupancy was recorded at separate times. Only times when at least 1 stall was occupied were recorded. There were three stalls in a row. Stall 1 was located at one end, with one partition of this stall against a wall and the other partition was shared with the middle stall. Stall 2, the middle stall, shared a partition with Stall 1 and 3. Stall 3 shared a partition with Stall 2 and the other partition was adjacent to an open common area in the restroom. There was a total of 37 observations. Stall 1 was occupied 62% of the time, Stall 2 occupied 30% of the time and Stall 3 occupied 32% of the time. Stall 1, Stall 2 and Stall 3 accounted for 50%, 24% and 26% of overall occupancy. Stall 1 was significantly more likely to be occupied than Stall 2 or 3 (62% vs 30%, p = 0.0051 and 62% vs 32%, p = 0.0104). Stall 2 had the lowest occupancy, but statistically equally likely as Stall 3 to be occupied (30% vs 32%, p = 0.802). In conclusion, in a bank of 3 stalls, the least used one was the middle one and the most used was the end one with an adjoining wall.

Spatial structure of Yangzhou’ s old public bathrooms: a space syntax analysis of the topological characteristics of their unique sensory space

ABSTRACT Sensory experience is vital in creating a local identity in historical buildings and should ideally be conserved along with basic spatial structure. Hence, this study explores the relation between the spatial structure and thermal sensation experience by systematically analysing the space syntax of Yangzhou’s four old public bathrooms. In this space syntax analysis, the spatial depths of Yangzhou’s old public bathrooms are arranged in descending order of thermal sensation. This model is unique in that it considers the thermal sensation experience; the “warm pool” room with the highest temperature is considered the origin of the thermal sensation experience and carrier of the building. This proposed model that includes thermal sensory experience is then compared with the typical spatial structure model. The study’s results support the first hypothesis that the four old bathrooms have a similar spatial structure. Further, they support the second hypothesis that the analysis is more valuable and clear when the sensory experience is incorporated into space syntax analyses. This study proposes a new method that combines the sensory experience with space syntax analysis to determine what to protect and also evaluate whether historical buildings preserve the local identity.

Iron Curtain: A Love Story by Vesna Goldsworthy

Reviewed by: Iron Curtain: A Love Story by Vesna Goldsworthy Damjana Mraović-O'Hare VESNA GOLDSWORTHY Iron Curtain: A Love Story New York. W. W. Norton. 2023. 336 pages. MILENA URBANSKA, the main character of Vesna Goldsworthy's Iron Curtain: A Love Story, is a child of privilege. An offspring of one of the two founders of a politically restrictive Soviet satellite state, Milena's life in the 1980s is marked by indulging in foreign pop culture, designer clothes, and trips abroad. Despite having a "dismal" attendance record and average performance, she is recognized as the top college student. She and her boyfriend, a child of another high-ranking state politician, are considered the Diana and Charles of her country. Milena claims that she is a rebel, both against the system and, consequently, her father, but her trespasses amount to decadent parties, sullen moods, and verbal outbursts to her parents. Milena is misunderstood and unhappy—she claims—and yet her discomfort is rather generational than political. When Milena complains about the constant lack of toilet paper in public bathrooms, she laments that she had to "waste another handkerchief. I like the touch of silk, but it was a pity always to have to throw these things away." Milena, though, changes when Misha, her Charles, kills himself playing drunk Russian roulette after serving only a few weeks of mandatory army service. Milena did not stop the game in which she also participated, and the guilt transforms her into a dedicated student and, later, a successful translator. The second change is instigated by Jason, a visiting British poet for whom she translates at a literary conference: an intense and brief love affair is followed by plans to continue their life in London. Expectedly, when Milena finally reaches the West, nothing lives up to its promise, while Jason's ultimate betrayal can be avenged only by asking for help from those against whom Milena supposedly initially revolted: her motherland and her father. The decision to acknowledge the political power of an eastern country, however, is ironic: the novel opens in December 1990, with the fall of the Iron Curtain. Milena's happiness is unattainable, regardless of politics. In her third novel, the well-established Goldsworthy revisits some of the themes she has previously discussed in her fiction and academic work, notably the ways in which the West and the East perceive each other, as well as questions of identity and freedom. Her Inventing Ruritania: The Imperialism of the Imagination (1998) is an essential contribution to Balkan studies; Gorsky (2015) follows a Russian oligarch living in contemporary London but is inspired by The Great Gatsby; Monsieur Ka (2018) is about Anna Karenina's son in post-World War II Britain. Iron Curtain, although "just" a love story, is Goldsworthy's finest novel so far: it is nuanced, funny, and relevant in a world that seems to be actively working on a new Iron Curtain. Damjana Mraović-O'Hare Carson-Newman University Copyright © 2023 World Literature Today and the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma

How is trans geography scholarship reframing the concerns of body geographies as a field of enquiry?

This paper aims to explore how trans scholarship can be progressed in the field of body geographies by analysing and evaluating trans autoethnographies. I will consider work from Nordmarken to criticise the dualistic lens gender is sometimes considered under in body geographies, and how scholars argue Cartesian dualism played a pivotal role in upholding gender binarism. I will also discuss work from Doan, who details her experience with public bathrooms from a Foucauldian perspective, arguing sex-segregated bathrooms are a materialisation of disciplinary power. I will also discuss Johnston’s work on the relation between ‘privileged places’ and the ‘normative binaries’ gender perspective and how this is present in the autoethnographies. I will then give criticism to these autoethnographies and find that personal narratives are valuable, but insufficient: there must be more scholars writing to progress the field, and scholars must theorise over these empirical experiences to develop them.

Negative experiences with public bathrooms and chronic illness‐related shame

The use of public bathrooms is a challenge for everyone, but especially for those who are affected by a bathroom-dependent condition. Being dependent on bathrooms is linked with different negative emotions. One of them is a clinically relevant emotion: shame associated with the chronic condition. In a cross-sectional survey study (n = 193) of people who suffer a bathroom-dependent condition we asked about health conditions, well-being, and shame related to chronic condition outcomes. We show a link between negative public bathroom experiences, and diminished well-being and feelings of shame related to chronic illness. We found that this relationship between negative experiences with public bathrooms and shame is not specific to the different conditions. We conclude that the negative experiences which people with different gastrointestinal illnesses face is an environmental stressor associated with more embarrassment as a result of the condition suffered.

Art’s Work in the Age of Biotechnology: Shaping Our Genetic Futures

Art’s Work in the Age of Biotechnology: Shaping Our Genetic Futures

'Do N3ot Flush Feminine Products!' The Environmental History, Biohazards and Norms Contained in the UK Sanitary Bin Industry Since 1960

Abstract The sanitary bin and warnings such as 'Do Not Flush Feminine Products!' have become a feature of women's public bathrooms throughout Britain. Begun in the 1950s by family-owned companies such as Personnel Hygiene Services and Cannon Hygiene, and developed into large corporate systems, these items and their cleaning structures have expanded into nearly every university, hospital, office, café, school and gym in the country. This article examines the three historical phases of sanitary bin technology and its meanings. First, the pioneering phase when the bin was needed to tackle the problems of flushing menstrual products and unpopular incinerators, and was developed and popularised by creative entrepreneurs. Second, the environmental phase when campaigners, especially the Women's Environmental Network, boosted the industry as they called for more regulations regarding menstrual product waste in the 1970s and 1980s, leading to the popularisation of the bin exchange and cleaning services now commonplace throughout the UK. Third, the high-tech phase of the 2000s, when the industry sought to reinvent the object by adding no-touch technology, more chemicals and aesthetic innovations. This article thus presents the sanitary bin in its historical context for the first time, and argues that it reveals changing attitudes towards menstruation, the environment and bathroom politics.

Having to "Hold It": Factors That Influence the Avoidance of Using Public Bathrooms among Transgender People.

Transgender people often avoid going to the bathroom in public, at work, and at school because they are afraid of facing problems while using them. Utilizing the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, the largest sample to date with transgender people, this study (N = 25,694) aimed to understand the factors associated with avoiding bathroom usage as well as how the avoidance may impact the health of transgender people. Logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with avoidance of bathrooms. More than six out of 10 transgender people avoided using public bathrooms. Being questioned about a person's bathroom choice, gender identity, perception of gender identity, previous experiences of discrimination, suicidal ideation, and serious psychological distress were found to be associated with avoidance of public bathrooms due to fears of having problems when using them. Gender-neutral bathrooms that are safe and accessible for transgender people need to be more available and accessible in the United States.

SUBJECTIVITIES AND CHALLENGES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH AN INTESTINAL OSTOMY

Objective: Identify experiences of the person with intestinal ostomy related to their social life. Methods: Descriptive study, qualitative in nature, carried out with ten people with intestinal ostomy. Data collection was performed at the Stomatherapy Service of a teaching hospital in the Federal District, through semi-structured interviews relating to family and social experience before and after the ostomy. Results: Six men and four women participated, with a mean age of 49 years, most with a permanent colostomy. From the analysis, two categories emerged: “What is it like to live with an ostomy and its challenges”; and “Strategies developed in the face of changes”. In the first category, the following stand out: self-care, lack of adequate bathroom, work activity, eating habits, disruption of body image and embarrassing situations. In the second category, they seek to support religiosity, maintain positive feelings and preserve emotional balance. Conclusion: The ostomy interferes with family and social life. It was evident that the person with ostomy develops strategies to face changes. It is believed that social isolation stems, in part, from the lack of information from society, the lack of quality material that offers comfort and safety, and, finally, the lack of adapted public and private bathrooms.

Transgender Adults' Public Bathroom-Related Stressors and Their Association with Depressive Symptoms: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in South Korea

Purpose: This study assessed public bathroom-related stressors and examined their association with depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among transgender individuals in South Korea. Methods: We analyzed data from a nationwide cross-sectional survey of 557 South Korean transgender adults (age range: 19-60 years) conducted in October 2020. Participants were asked nine yes/no questions about whether they have ever experienced public bathroom-related stressors within the last 12 months. The responses were classified into three categories: "never experienced," "avoidant behaviors alone," and "victimization experiences." Results: The proportions of participants who reported "avoidant behaviors alone" and "victimization experiences" related to public bathroom use were 47.0% and 23.0%, respectively. Past-week prevalence of depressive symptoms was 70.7%, and past 12-month prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was 63.0% and 19.8%, respectively. Compared with participants who "never experienced" public bathroom-related stressors, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was statistically significantly higher among those who reported "avoidant behaviors alone" (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.40) and "victimization experiences" (aPR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.01-1.38), after adjusting for covariates, including gender perception by others. In the same adjusted model, however, no significant associations of public bathroom-related stressors with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were observed. Conclusions: Given these findings showing that public bathroom-related stressors may negatively influence transgender adults' depressive symptoms, efforts are necessary to ensure their safe access to public bathrooms in South Korea. Furthermore, policy-level interventions are needed to eliminate stigma against transgender individuals, given that public bathroom-related stressors could be considered an indicator of broader anti-transgender stigma.

Sari, Femininity, and Wall Art: A Semiotic Study of GuessWho’s Street Art in Bengaluru

Graffiti has been conversing with the public for millions of years. In India, this art form is prominent in spaces like historical monuments, schools, colleges, classrooms, public bathrooms, benches, desks, and local transports. With the coming of the Covid 19 pandemic, this art from the streets has come alive in people’s smartphones. This paper explores and interprets the works of GuessWho, a prominent stencil graffiti artist working in the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka, and originally belonging to Kochi, Kerala. This study seeks to understand how the discourse around graffiti can help empower women in their struggle to claim the streets. By focusing on Instagram as a medium of social resistance, the paper explores the role of graffiti and social media in challenging the patriarchal status quo. Semiotics is used to understand the ways in which the production and consumption of forms of street art and graffiti are increasingly shaping the way Bengaluru city negotiates with gender. GuessWho’s graffiti symbolically targets and contests gender discrimination and particularly challenges some of the existing classist, racist, or sexist biases by subverting the use of sari, technology, and gender roles in the artwork.