Beyond the Biology Lesson: Addressing Menstrual Health Gaps in Schools

Menstrual Health as a School-Based Equity Issue

For students who menstruate, managing a period at school depends on more than simply understanding what menstruation is. It can also depend on whether there is a clean and private washroom, a disposal bin, access to menstrual products, water, soap, and a school environment where menstruation is not treated with shame. While menstrual health is often addressed through basic puberty education, education is not enough to meet students’ menstrual health needs.

A 2024 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals major global gaps in menstrual health and hygiene in schools. The report states that menstrual health needs are overlooked due to limited access to information, education, products, services, adequate facilities, and equitable support (World Health Organization [WHO] & United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], 2024). These findings suggest that menstrual health should not be treated just as an educational topic, but as a multifaceted matter directly related to health, sanitation, gender equity, and school participation.

Education is Necessary, But Not Enough

Menstrual health education is an important foundation for supporting students who menstruate. According to WHO and UNICEF, only 39% of schools globally provide menstrual health education (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). This means students may have to navigate menstruation without formal, accurate, and timely guidance. The report also notes that millions of students are unaware of or unprepared for menstruation before their first period, with one study in Ethiopia finding that less than half of surveyed girls knew about menstruation before menarche (WHO & UNICEF, 2024).

These findings show why menstrual education matters before students are expected to manage menstruation on their own. However, education must extend beyond biological explanations of the menstrual cycle. Students also need practical information about menstrual products, hygiene, symptom management, and when to seek support. Just as importantly, menstrual education should help normalize menstruation and reduce shame surrounding a routine bodily process.

Infrastructure and Access Matter

Even when students understand menstruation, they may still struggle to manage it at school if the necessary facilities and resources are unavailable. WHO and UNICEF report that less than one in three schools globally, or 31%, have bins for menstrual waste in girls’ toilets. In Least Developed Countries, this falls to 17% (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). The report also states that menstrual products are not always readily available or affordable; for example, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 12% of schools provide menstrual products for free or for purchase (WHO & UNICEF, 2024).

These gaps connect menstrual health to school infrastructure. Students require clean toilets, private spaces to change menstrual products, disposal bins, and access to water and soap. WHO and UNICEF note that, in many countries, adolescent schoolgirls do not have access to a clean toilet or another dedicated private space to change menstrual products at school (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). They also report inequalities in access to water and soap, with girls in urban areas, private schools, and girls-only schools more likely to have access to a private place with water and soap (WHO & UNICEF, 2024).

The Role of Stigma

Stigma remains another barrier to menstrual health. WHO and UNICEF report that menstruation-related stigma is widespread, with adolescents often feeling ashamed or unable to openly discuss menstruation (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). The report also notes that this shame can affect mental health and school attendance (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). As a result, addressing menstrual health requires more than providing products or facilities; it also requires changing the social environment surrounding menstruation. 

Schools play an important role in challenging stigma because they shape how young people learn to understand their bodies and respond to others. When menstruation is treated as embarrassing or inappropriate to discuss, students may be less likely to seek help or ask questions. Instead, when schools provide accurate information and normalize respectful conversations about menstruation, they can help reduce misinformation and shame.  

Teachers and Data Gaps

Teachers are central to menstrual health education, but WHO and UNICEF identify a significant gap in available data on teacher preparation. The report found no national datasets on how teachers are trained to teach about menstrual hygiene (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). This matters because teachers may be expected to provide support without adequate training. 

The report also notes that only 30 countries have data tracking at least one globally recommended priority indicator related to menstrual health and hygiene in schools (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). Without stronger data, it becomes more difficult to understand the scale of the problem, identify inequities, and evaluate whether school-based policies are improving menstrual health outcomes. 

Building Period-Friendly Schools

A period-friendly school is one that recognizes menstruation as a normal health need and responds with both education and practical support. This includes providing menstrual health education, access to menstrual health products, private and clean washrooms, disposal bins, water, soap, and trained school staff. It also means creating a school culture where students are not shamed for menstruating or needing support during the day. 

The WHO and UNICEF report emphasizes that targeted policies and investments can improve menstrual health and hygiene in schools (WHO & UNICEF, 2024). These improvements are not just matters of comfort; they are connected to dignity, safety, confidence, and equitable access to education. Students should not be expected to manage menstruation without basic resources required to do so. 

Conclusion

Menstrual education is essential, but it still is not enough. Students need accurate information about menstruation, but they also need school environments that allow them to manage their periods with safety and dignity. The WHO and UNICEF findings show that major gaps remain in education, products, sanitation, hygiene, waste disposal, teacher training, and data collection. Addressing these gaps requires treating menstrual health as a school-based equity issue rather than a private inconvenience. 

By combining education with accessible products, adequate facilities, trained staff, and stigma reduction, schools can better support students who menstruate. A truly period-friendly school is not one that simply explains periods; it ensures students have the knowledge, resources, and environment needed to manage menstruation with dignity and confidence.

References

World Health Organization & United Nations Children’s Fund. (2024a, May 28). Global report reveals major gaps in menstrual health and hygiene in schools. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/28-05-2024-global-report-reveals-major-gaps-in-menstrual-health-and-hygiene-in-schools?fbclid=IwY2xjawSx6BZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAEwAAEe96upA21Km9-oqwnBJaAX8uomsLEVuxc6rMW7EikwxPPyqlGFO5ClR-Y5Zik_aem_H5b-hOeJFMIZLprMhRgBjw