hEALTH RISKS
UTIs - Urinary Tract Infections
Causes:
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Not changing pads after 8 hours
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Not changing tampons after 4 hours
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Not using sterile menstrual products
Symptoms:
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Urinating frequently
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Pain in bladder
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Odor/cloudy urine
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Causes:
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Not changing tampons frequently
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Not using sterile period products
Symptoms:
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Fever
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Nausea/vomiting
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Fatigue
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Chills
Period poverty is known to cause depression, anxiety, guilt, and shame
Many women who cannot afford or lack access to menstrual hygiene products may have issues with their mental health. Better and affordable access to such products may help meet the monthly needs of the women affected by period poverty. At times, when women do not prioritize their monthly needs they risk impacting their mental health.
These young women tried to make ends meet at the cost of their well-being. It was also noted that women who had experienced period poverty either a previous(past) year or monthly( ~61,2%) reported moderate to severe depression in contrast to those who didn’t experience period poverty(~43.4%).
Period poverty could also lead to anxiety and stress. When women have limited access to menstrual products, possible medical complications could be created. Women may have to use a product much longer than what is regarded as safe because of the lack of access to menstrual products.
In a study published in BMC Women’s Health, it was reported that 68.1 % of the undergraduate women affected by monthly period poverty had links to moderate to severe depression.
experience as a farmworker and the lack of access to menstrual products at the workplace
She had to wear a pad for basically the whole 8-10 hours under the 120 ℉ heat of the desert.
I questioned whether such experiences could’ve been better if menstrual hygiene products were provided at the restrooms. I’m sure many women and adolescents may find themselves in very similar situations.
In adolescents, periods of poverty can cause depression, anxiety and could lead to social isolation (usually comes from embarrassment, the guilt and shame they may feel.)
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, April 23). Urinary tract infection (UTI). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urinary-tract-infection/symptoms-causes/syc-20353447.
Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS). Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/toxic-shock-syndrome-tss.
Belle, E. (2018, July 19). Not Being Able to Afford Tampons Could Hurt Your Mental Health. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/period-poverty-could-have-mental-health-consequences-study-finds.