Menstrual Poverty Among Elementary School Students in the Amazon, Brazil

Objective: This study was developed in an elementary school in Belém/Pará, and had the following specific objectives: 1) to evaluate the conditions of access of menstruating students to water, toilets/bathrooms and sanitary pads at school and at home; 2) to identify the knowledge of the people in question about what menstruation is and their perception about their menstrual experience; 3) to identify the solutions found by these people to deal with menstruation. Method: This is a qualitative and quantitative study, which included inspection of school toilets/bathrooms; interviews with students about residential toilets/bathrooms; and the other objectives. Results and Discussion: Menstrual poverty was found: deficiencies in access to hygienic items and adequate toilets/bathrooms, lack of knowledge about what menstruation is; presence of impediments resulting from the phenomenon, including attending classes; exclusive use of disposable pads. Research Implications: The research points to the incompleteness of the menstrual dignity policy, due to the lack of dialogue with sanitation and environmental policies, and also due to the negative impact on environmental health by favoring sanitary pads that contain plastic. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by addressing menstrual poverty among students in the Amazon, in the provinces of the waters. Its relevance lies in signaling the need for dialogue between related policies, since menstrual poverty is a multifaceted phenomenon, both in terms of its causes and its consequences.