An invisible crisis in women's health: A qualitative study of midwives' views on period poverty

Menstruation is a biological process. Many women and girls do not have access to accurate and reliable information about menstruation, nor do they have access to the menstrual products they need during menstruation. We aimed to examine midwives' views on period poverty. We conducted the study with 25 midwives. As part of the qualitative study, in-depth one-on-one interviews were conducted. The data were collected using a survey consisting of three sections and containing semi-structured interviews. In this qualitative study, content analysis method, which is an inductive type of analysis, was applied. As a result of the analyses, four main themes were identified: 'Midwives' Awareness of Period Poverty,' 'Causes of Period Poverty,' 'Effects of Period Poverty on Women's Health,' and 'Midwives' Suggestions for Solutions to Period Poverty.' Through our findings, we gained insight into midwives' perspectives on period poverty, identified notable gaps in their knowledge, and highlighted their critical role.