Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (Research)

Department

Applied Social Studies

First Advisor

Prof Margaret Linehan

Second Advisor

Dr. Alison Merrotsy

Abstract

This study examines the attitudes of students in Munster Technological University (MTU) towards menstruation and period products. It is estimated that in Ireland, between 53,000 and 85,000 Irish menstruators may be at risk of period poverty (Government of Ireland, 2021). There is also evidence to suggest that some students have experienced period poverty (Ministry of Education, 2023; Brinkley and Niebuhr, 2022; Munro et. al., 2021). Period poverty has an impact on the physical, mental, and social well-being of menstruators, ultimately affecting their quality of life.

A mixed-method study was undertaken, consisting of questionnaires (n=319) and one-toone semi-structured interviews (n=10) to gather data on participants’ understanding and experiences of period poverty, the impact of menstruation on health and daily living, and attitudes towards menstruation and reusable period products. The qualitative data was analysed thematically, using the grounded theory method, and the quantitative data was analysed using IBM SPSS.

The findings suggest that while the majority of MTU students were aware of period poverty, they had limited knowledge of the topic. Twenty-seven percent of students have not been able to access period products. While there were several students who used reusable period products, over half of the students who do not use reusable period products were willing to try the products. The biggest barriers that were identified to using reusable period products were lack of information, stigma, and cost. Students believed that menstruation had a negative impact on their education, social, and other aspects of their daily lives.

From the research findings, it can be suggested that reusable period products are a possible sustainable solution to combat period poverty. There are issues, however, that must be addressed locally and nationally. MTU could enhance menstrual health literacy by creating a dedicated module on its e-learning platform. Additionally, reinstating the education week from the launch week of Code Red initiative as an annual in-person event would raise awareness of period poverty, improve menstrual health literacy, and help combat the stigma and embarrassment associated with menstruation. Finally, the findings strongly recommend that Irish legislation needs to be enacted, like Scotland and Spain, to support menstruators, by providing free menstrual products, or creating menstrual allowances, and menstrual leave, in particular for those who suffer from severe menstrual symptoms and conditions.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Access Level

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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