MENSTRUAL HEALTH: A HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE

Menstruation is a natural part of life, but for some people who menstruate it can be a reason for exclusion. Factors that contribute to exclusion include age, gender, poverty level, health conditions, and other societal factors. Menstrual health is a general state of wellbeing during the menstrual cycle, and it is important because everyone has the right to live their experiences with dignity and feel healthy. In this article, we discuss menstrual health, describe how certain groups face situations that can negatively impact their menstrual health, and explain why menstrual health should be a basic human right. We also discuss the links between menstruation and the environment and the roles that schools and everyone in society can play in contributing to menstrual justice, that is, participating in the debate surrounding menstrual health issues, and promoting healthy, inclusive, accessible, and sustainable menstrual management contexts.


WHAT IS MENSTRUAL HEALTH?
Menstruation is a natural fact of life and a monthly occurrence for about .billion girls, women, transgender men, and non-binary persons of reproductive age.Menstrual health involves more than just

MENSTRUAL HEALTH
The ability of a menstruator to take care of their body during their monthly period.It means understanding what is happening and having access to the supplies needed to stay clean and comfortable.
an absence of medical problems related to the menstrual cycle-it includes a state of complete wellbeing.Menstrual health is a basic human right-everyone who menstruates should be able to manage their monthly menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way.This broad definition of menstrual health is aligned with the World Health Organization's overall definition of human health and reflects the many ways the lives of those who menstruate can be negatively a ected by social factors, i.e., outside the person [ ].
Achieving menstrual health implies not only access to menstrual products like pads, tampons, and underwear, but that girls, women, and all other individuals who menstruate (menstruators) have the    Menstrual health is central to fulfilling sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and several other human rights aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."Sustainable" means that something can carry on forever; therefore, the SDGs aim to create better ways of life without destroying the environment and resources for the future.Menstrual health is important for the attainment of at least nine of the SDGs adopted in by the United Nations General Assembly to be achieved by , from Goal -Good Health and Wellbeing, meaning that people should be able to menstruate in a way that promotes their health, with the appropriate and healthy products of their choice and without pain and discomfort, to Goal -Partnerships for the Goals, that is collaborative approaches to address main menstrual health management issues, including social and cultural norms, access to water and sanitation, products, education, standards, human rights, and marginalized populations.

WHAT IS PERIOD POVERTY?
Period poverty encompasses all the barriers that menstruating

PERIOD POVERTY
Limited or inadequate access to menstrual products or menstrual health education because of cost or stigmas associated with menstruation.people face to accessing menstrual products, menstrual health educational materials, and clean, functional bathroom facilities.People all over the world can su er from period poverty, particularly in low-income countries.One factor that contributes to period poverty is cost-many people may not be able to a ord menstrual hygiene products such as pads or tampons, or related costs such as pain medication or underwear.Di culty a ording menstrual products can cause individuals to stay home from school and work, with lasting consequences for their education, work opportunities, and income.
Period poverty also includes the lack of menstrual health education and information, behavioral restrictions (such as the impossibility of maintaining certain practices, like those related to sports), stigma (negative attitudes toward the person) surrounding menstruation, and di culties managing menstrual bleeding and pain.Period poverty is not just an issue of money, but also a political and social issue.E orts are growing in many countries to raise awareness of period poverty and break down the barriers preventing people from accessing menstrual products, running water, and bathroom/hygiene facilities.For instance, campaigns to remove sales Alarcão and Pintassilgo taxes from menstruation products are part of a societal movement to address period poverty and the stigma surrounding menstruation in STIGMA When people treat something, like menstruation, as embarrassing or shameful, which can lead to discrimination against people who menstruate.many places.

MENSTRUATION AND ENVIRONMENT: IS THERE A LINK?
Although menstruation itself is not bad for the environment, some products used to manage menstruation, such as tampons and pads, often contain plastics and chemicals that are harmful to the environment.These products take centuries to decompose in a landfill-longer than a person's lifespan.The manufacturing processes for producing menstrual products can also have environmental consequences.
Options that are more environmentally friendly include reusable products, such as menstrual cups and reusable or biodegradable

REUSABLE PRODUCTS
Products that can be used multiple times to catch or absorb cervical fluid and menstrual flow, such as cloth menstrual pads, menstrual cups, and period underwear.pads.However, such alternative methods are not available or culturally acceptable in many places.It is crucial to allow people to make informed choices about which menstrual products are acceptable to them and fit their needs [ ].

MENSTRUAL HEALTH: WHAT CAN SCHOOLS DO?
Schools can be a supportive environment for menstrual health, and they can provide students with the knowledge, sanitary products, and facilities to understand and manage their menstruation in a safe, private, accessible (available when needed), and gender-a rming manner (i.e., living according to authentic gender, according, or not, to what was defined at birth).Examples include private, clean bathrooms that can lock; su cient handwashing facilities and soap; and proper, easily accessible places to dispose of sanitary products in bathrooms.Schools can provide clear, easily understandable menstrual health education for children of all genders, abilities, cultures, and languages starting in primary school.Education that includes menstrual health as a positive part of being human, without shame, is essential for creating a future society free from all stigma surrounding menstruation.Schools can also promote better education and information on reusable menstrual products, to give students the freedom to choose which products they would like to use.This could help to drive the social acceptance of reusable menstrual products.Finally, schools can promote family and community engagement by being transparent and available for families, through open and broad communication about menstrual health and how to promote it, and by being available for dialog with families about each student's menstrual health needs.building societies where people can discuss menstruation openly, and removing barriers to good menstrual hygiene.
Raising awareness about the challenges some people face accessing menstrual products, education about menstruation, and period-friendly bathroom facilities are steps forward in the journey to end period poverty.Menstrual Hygiene Day (https://menstrualhygieneday.org/) is an annual awareness day held on May, because menstrual cycles average days in length and people menstruate an average of days each month (May is the fifth month of the year).Menstrual Hygiene Day seeks to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management all over the world.Celebrating this day is a chance to emphasize the importance of menstrual health and hygiene care, raise awareness, and change harmful stigmas around menstrual health.
To reach the goal of menstrual justice, all people need to be engaged-especially young people-in the movement toward creating a menstrual-friendly environment. .doi: ./frym. .

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
COPYRIGHT © Alarcão and Pintassilgo.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice.No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

YOUNG REVIEWERS ELIZABETH, AGE:
My nickname is Elle.I like writing stories and dancing especially ballet and tap.I also have a passion for fashion.I like participating in science fairs and writing competitions.I am interested in becoming a Lawyer and changing policies to help others.

LAVINIA, AGE:
Lavinia is an energetic and enthusiastic teenager.She is determined and passionate about the things she does.She has always had a passion for sports and biology, especially the human anatomy.She is a keen semi-profession skier.Lavinia has excellent communication and team-working skills.She has participated in a number of competitions over the years.Her love for volleyball started at the age of ten, and she is now an active team member in her hometown.,She is curious and keen to learn.She attends a classical high school and she enjoys studying Latin and Greek and ancient cultures.She loves watching films in their original language and following after school courses.Her research interests are focused on Demography, Population Sociology and Sociology of Birth and Motherhood, but also in Education.Presently, she develops an international cooperation project, in the area of Education and Higher Education, with the Amilcar Cabral University, in Guinea-Bissau.Sónia lives in Lisbon, Portugal, with Pedro (husband), their children, Beatriz, Tiago and Maria, and their cat, Mel.Apart from spending time with her family and friends, she loves her profession, reading, meditating and swimming.She also loves playing table football.
menstrual health and fully participate in their normal daily activities during their menstrual cycles (Figure )[ -].

FigureFigure
Figure Alarcão and Pintassilgo SCIENCE MENTORS: Gianluca Pellino and Patricia Welch Saleeby CITATION: Alarcão V and Pintassilgo S ( ) Menstrual Health: A Health and Human Rights Issue.Front.Young Minds : Alarcão and Pintassilgo love to spend time with family and friends, travel, explore new places, and make unforgettable memories.*violeta_sabina_alarcao@iscte-iul.ptSÓNIA PINTASSILGO Sónia Pintassilgo is teacher of Social Research Methods Department (Iscte) and Researcher (CIES-Iscte), in Family, Generations and Health research line.She co-coordinates Laboratório de Estudos Sociais sobre o Nascimento-nascer.At School of Sociology and Public Policies (ESPP-Iscte), she is responsible for the advisory service to students.She has been contributing to the design of training responses and monitoring of an increasingly diverse student body, aimed at improving, not only access, but the academic and social experience of students.
As we have explained, many factors can lead to unmet menstrual health needs.We can achieve Menstrual Justice by working to eliminate the stigma surrounding menstruation and period taboo,