Menstrual Health Literacy in Higher-Education Institutions

Jana Krzysztoszek

Menstrual Health Literacy in Higher-Education Institutions

Author(s)	Dr. Jana Krzysztoszek
Country	United States
Abstract	Menstrual health can influence physical comfort, psychological well-being, social participation, healthcare use, and educational engagement throughout the reproductive life course. Higher-education institutions are particularly important environments because students must often manage menstruation alongside lectures, examinations, laboratory work, clinical placements, commuting, residential living, employment, and other academic responsibilities. Menstrual health literacy extends beyond basic knowledge of menstrual hygiene. It includes understanding the menstrual cycle, recognizing variation between expected and potentially concerning symptoms, identifying evidence-informed self-management options, knowing when professional assessment may be appropriate, and possessing sufficient confidence to obtain institutional or healthcare support. The 2021 Global Menstrual Collective definition similarly conceptualized menstrual health in physical, mental, and social terms rather than reducing it to hygiene alone. The simulated analysis indicates progressively stronger menstrual-health literacy as institutional support becomes more comprehensive. Correct recognition of potentially concerning menstrual symptoms increases from 38% in the minimal-support condition to 84% under integrated education and campus support. Mean help-seeking readiness rises from 42.6 to 78.1 on a 0–100 scale, while the modeled proportion reporting substantial academic disruption decreases from 47% to 23%. These hypothetical patterns are consistent with pre-2022 evidence showing that menstrual pain and menstrual distress can interfere with university attendance, concentration, academic performance, clinical learning, and social functioning, while many young people do not seek professional care despite substantial symptoms. The study argues that higher-education menstrual-health strategies should integrate reliable education with accessible products, appropriate sanitation and privacy, stigma reduction, confidential health-service pathways, and academic policies capable of responding proportionately to significant menstrual symptoms. University-based menstrual-equity research further suggests that sustainable provision requires administrative commitment rather than dependence on temporary student-led initiatives. The paper concludes that menstrual health literacy should be treated as a health-literacy and educational-participation issue rather than a narrow hygiene topic.
Keywords	menstrual health literacy; higher education; university students; dysmenorrhea; menstrual stigma; menstrual equity; health-seeking behavior; academic participation
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 4, Issue 3, May-June 2023
Published On	2023-05-22

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American Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Innovation and Research

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Menstrual Health Literacy in Higher-Education Institutions

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