"Meu medo mesmo é de menstruar na escola? : violações de direitos humanos contra adolescentes em decorrência da pobreza menstrual na cidade de João Pessoa-PB"

Abstract

Menstrual poverty refers to the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, running water, basic sanitation, medication, and information about one's own body. Combined with the unavailability of menstrual containment items, this condition leads menstruating individuals to use improvised alternatives, which may result in urinary tract infections and even life-threatening complications. It affects girls, women, trans men, and non-binary people, and because the topic is historically surrounded by taboos and stigma, there is a scarcity of data and public debate, whose most immediate impact is school absenteeism, severely compromising educational trajectories. This study aims to analyze human rights violetonas arising from menstrual poverty within the educational context of João Pessoa, Brazil, focusing on students enrolled in the 6th to 9th grades. This exploratory and qualitative research was conducted through fieldwork involving questionnaires and discussion circles with 21 menstruating participants. The main findings reveal that most participants are Black or Brown individuals from low-income backgrounds who spend much of their school years menstruating; that absenteeism is the most frequent consequence, with participants missing more than 50 school days per year, generating a perceived academic lag compared to boys; that shame is the most prevalent feeling, accompanied by persistent menstrual stigmas; that bullying directly affects their well-being; and that there is a curricular and institutional gap in addressing the topic, reflected in the absence of school activities and lack of teacher preparation, which hinder adequate support and limit anti-bullying actions essential for ensuring access and school retention. The study concludes that there is still a long path ahead in combating menstrual poverty in educational settings, highlighting the need for teacher training, improvements in school infrastructure, and the incorporation of a curriculum grounded in education in and for Human Rights as essential strategies for building a more just and equitable society.