Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
Published on: August 22, 2012
Exploring Adolescents' Menstrual Hygiene Management Needs: Findings From Students in St. Louis, Missouri Charter
Anne Sebert Kuhlmann1, Kenneth Kibii1, Kirstin Palovick1
1College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Objective:
To assess unmet menstrual hygiene needs and explore experiences with menstruation management among students at four charter high schools in the City of St. Louis, Missouri, United States in order to inform the development of future educational resources.
Methods:
Using a cross-sectional design with mixed-methods data collection, we collected quantitative data from 117 participants through anonymous, electronic surveys. We conducted four focus group discussions (FDGs), one at each high school, with 7-10 participants per group.
Results:
Among survey respondents, 41% were in 10th grade and a majority identified as non-Hispanic Black (68%), with an average age of 16 years (15.6 ± 2.82 years). During the previous school year (2021-2022), over half of students (51%) were unable to access period products when needed at least once because they or their family could not afford them. The FDGs centered around four key domains of inquiry: (a) menstruation management-related school resources, (b) menstrual symptoms and coping strategies, (c) menstrual hygiene education, and (d) menstrual cycle tracking strategies.
Conclusions:
Our findings highlight how essential it is to address the issue of unmet needs for menstrual products and hygiene management to ensure all students who experience menstruation can access period products, minimize menstruation-related absenteeism, and promote the overall well-being of adolescent students.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Ostomy Care
An ostomy is a surgical procedure that creates an artificial opening from the intestines to the outside of the body, allowing for the rerouting of effluent. This opening is known as a stoma. A stoma usually protrudes above the skin surface, appearing pink or red, moist, and round, and it lacks nerve sensations.
There are different types of ostomies, including colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies:
01:17Urinary Tract Infection IV: Nursing Management
01:18Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
01:19The Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual phase occurs from days 1 to 5 and involves the shedding of the stratum functionalis, as a...
01:22Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH...