Menstrual hygiene plight of homeless women, a public health disgrace

摘要

Last year, we read a study about how homeless women dealtwith their menses. Women spoke of limited daytime shelterbathroom access and no access to feminine products; theyresolved this problem inadequately by using toilet paper asmakeshift cloth pads.Lack of access to sanitary products for homeless women isa devastating and overlooked healthcare injustice that needsto be rectified. Homeless women confront the daunting challengeof securing materials to absorb blood and finding privacyto change and dispose of used sanitary products. Soiledclothing may be cleaned without soap, using dirty water.Indoor drying without sunlight is common.1 The UrbanInstitute estimates that 3.5 million people, including 1.35million children, are homeless during a given year.2 Menstrualbleeding and its management are taboo as a publicdiscussion subject. Although commonly reported in underdevelopednations, our Google Scholar search for menstrualhygiene management in United States homeless womenrevealed sparse mention of this pervasive health concern