University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2023 Sep;32(9):927-931. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2023.0085. Epub 2023 Aug 3.
Menstrual equity, that is, access to menstrual products and safe menstruating environments, is a basic human right not available to many vulnerable populations. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with a convenience sample of women involved in the criminal legal system to document experiences with access to hygiene and menstrual products while incarcerated. Of the 156 respondents, 62.6% had to trade or barter to receive even basic hygiene products such as soap or shampoo; food and personal favors were used as the common currency. More than half (53.8%) received less than five menstrual products at intake/initial processing; 29.5% had to trade or barter menstrual hygiene products. Almost one-quarter (23.1%) suffered negative health consequences from prolonged use of products because of limited supply. Findings document the lack of menstrual equity among women involved in the criminal legal system. Assuring the human right of menstrual equity in this population requires changes at the legal, the policy, the institutional, and the individual level.
经期公平，即获得经期产品和安全的经期环境，是许多弱势群体无法享有的基本人权。我们对参与刑事司法系统的女性进行了一项横断面调查，以记录她们在监禁期间获得卫生和经期产品的情况。在 156 名受访者中，62.6%的人不得不进行交易或交换才能获得基本的卫生用品，如肥皂或洗发水；食物和个人恩惠被用作常见的货币。超过一半（53.8%）在入监/初始处理时只收到不到五个经期产品；29.5%的人不得不交易或交换经期卫生用品。由于供应有限，近四分之一（23.1%）的人因长期使用产品而遭受负面健康后果。研究结果表明，参与刑事司法系统的女性中存在经期公平缺失的情况。要确保这一人群的经期公平人权，需要在法律、政策、机构和个人层面进行变革。
