Menstrual dignity and poverty: experience report of university extension in adolescent health

Abstract

Menstruation accompanies the lives of all people who have intact female sexual organs. Because it is an aspect of sexuality, it is still a subject anchored in prejudice and discrimination, often associated with dirt, impurity and other negative conceptions. Prejudiced narratives about sexuality and menstruation (or even the omission of narratives) make it difficult to guarantee the human rights of people who menstruate and increase gender inequality. In this context, the terms menstrual dignity and poverty emerged in political guidelines to normalize menstruation in our society, with the aim of promoting autonomy and acceptance for people who menstruate. This work reports the experience of extension actions carried out on dignity and menstrual poverty, for adolescents, in a public school in a Brazilian capital, linked to the Health at School Program (PSE). Three work fronts were carried out: posts on social networks, organization of a campaign to collect sanitary pads and face-to-face educational activities at schools. Five posts were published on the social network with technical information, however, in language accessible to the target audience.