Funded Projects

Empowering Students: Improving Menstrual Health Education

Project Year

2025

City & State

Charleston, South Carolina

Program Name

CATCH Resident

Topic

School Health

Program Description

Problem/number of children affected:  Period poverty refers to the inability to afford and access appropriate menstrual hygiene products, as well as insufficient access to proper education and awareness of menstrual health (1). Numerous factors play into period poverty, including lack of accessibility to products, cost of products, stigmatization of menstruation, and lack of comprehensive menstrual education (1).  In a 2023 national survey, nearly one in four teenagers struggled to afford period products and just under half had worn period products longer than recommended (2). Teens report negative impacts on schoolwork due to lack of access to products (25%) and due to problematic symptoms like cramping (60%) (2). This translates to missed school days, with one study finding that 13% of young women had missed days and 24% had left school early due to lack of products (3). These findings are more significant in already disadvantaged groups, with more Black and Hispanic women struggling to afford period products, using products for longer than recommended, and using substitute products compared to their White counterparts (4).  Numerous studies have confirmed adolescents have negative connotations regarding menstruation (2,3,5). Again, younger, lower income, and African American students had more discomfort talking about periods and reaching out for help when needed (2). Also, low income was associated with less knowledge about where to go for information about menstrual management (4). This relates closely to a lack of comprehensive education regarding menstrual health, particularly in schools (6). Reassuringly, teens want more open communication about periods, menstrual education for both boys and girls, elimination of stigma, and more accessible period supplies (1,2).  Primary Setting/Project goal:  This project will focus on underserved youth in Charleston County Schools. Our goal is to educate students about period poverty and menstrual health, empowering them via education, provision of period products, and knowledge of community resources. Specifically, we will educate groups of middle and high school students at Burke High School and Simmons-Pinckney Middle School, a set of underserved schools with predominantly African American youth living in poverty.  Proposed intervention:   We will host educational sessions with classrooms of boys and girls in grades 6-12 at the two aforementioned schools. The educational curriculum will cover period poverty, proper menstrual care, available products/appropriate use, and symptom management. As part of the curriculum, we would engage with students via a period packing party, creating menstrual packs in accordance with our community partner’s standards to keep, give to someone they know, or supply to the school nurse. This gives a hands-on, low-stakes learning environment to promote questions and open conversation to decrease stigma. To better understand our community and to assess the efficacy of our intervention, we will collect data with a pre-survey on the day of the intervention, followed by a post-survey ~4-6 months later. This will allow for further discussions and distribution of additional information highlighting community resources for access to period products as well as volunteer opportunities for those interested. Our hope is to create advocates within the school and an effective curriculum that can be expanded to other schools.  Anticipated Outcomes:  Our hope is that this project will improve knowledge surrounding period poverty and menstrual health in middle and high school students, both males and females. Ultimately, students will be able to define period poverty and how it impacts their community, as well as understand normal versus abnormal menstruation, proper use of period products, and safe ways to mitigate symptoms. Optimistically, we hope to demonstrate a decrease in missed school days among our participants via improved access to products and improved management of problematic symptoms.  

Project Goal

Educate youth on period poverty and menstrual health, empowering them to be better advocates for themselves, their peers, their families, and their community through the provision of menstrual education, avenues to access free period products, and opportunities for further engagement in the fight for equitable access to menstrual care.  

Project Objective 1

Increase the percentage of surveyed students in grades 6-12 in Burke High School and Simmons-Pinckney Middle School who can correctly identify the definition of period poverty by 30% from pre-survey in October 2025 to post-survey in March 2026.  

Project Objective 2

70% of surveyed students in grades 6-12 in Burke High School and Simmons-Pinckney Middle School will be able to identify where to find free period products both in school and in the community by the end of the intervention period in March 2026.  

Project Objective 3

Decrease number of missed school days among female adolescents grades 6-12 in Burke HS and Simmons-Pinckney Middle School by 10% as assessed by pre- and post-surveys over a 6 month period (estimated October 2025-March 2026). 

AAP District

District IV

Institutional Name

MUSC

Contact 1

Sierra Stumpff, MD

Contact 2

Emily Downs, MD