IALH Research Fellow and past Acting Director Nathan J. Lachowsky has co-authored a new research article entitled Accessibility gaps in menstrual products: An environmental scan of access programs in Canada. Collaborating authors include Jordan Monks, Arlette Ibrahim, and Aki M. Gormezano. The article was published in The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.
Abstract:
Globally, people who menstruate do not have equitable access to menstrual products. Menstrual hygiene and equitable access to menstrual products are important for mental, emotional, and physical health. While past research shows that there is menstrual inequity on a global level, less is known about access to menstrual products specifically in Canada. In the present study, the authors conducted a bilingual (English and French) online environmental scan to determine the extent to which people in Canada who menstruate have access to the products they need. Specifically, they examined programs and organizations in Canada that distribute and/or support access to menstrual products. The authors found that many programs targeted school-aged youth. By contrast, few initiatives focused on the workplace, and there were fewer programs in rural and small communities compared with large urban populations. The results highlight gaps in program type and locale that could be used to improve menstrual equity.
To read the full article, see https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs-2024-0076