Racial disparities in menstrual health●

PERIODS ARE UNIVERSAL,
BUT ACCESS TO SUPPORT IS NOT●

Every month, Black, Latinx and Indigenous students face more stigma, less access and less care, not because of biology or choices, but because of the systems around them.

This can lead to shame and silence.

83% of Black teens hide their period products on the way to the bathroom.

It can lead to sitting on the sidelines.

43% of Black teens struggle to ask for period accommodations in sports.

It can lead to pain that gets ignored.

Symptoms can be dismissed, misdiagnosed and treated later than for white patients.

  Introducing

Racial Disparities In Menstrual Health●

This course explains what menstrual equity really means and where the gaps come from, then gives you 10 concrete actions to close them.

This Workshop Toolkit is a downloadable resource.

You will learn

• The 5 drivers of inequity
• Why 42% of teens feel unprepared for their first period, and how to fix it
• A respectful environment: swapping stigmatizing phrases for supportive ones
• Freedom to participate: accommodations for class, sports and extracurriculars
• Diagnosis, care and treatment: medical racism, dismissed pain and how to advocate for better care

What's Inside Racial disparities in menstrual health?

This Workshop Toolkit helps you understand what racial disparities in menstrual health are, why they matter, and what we can do about it.

1

Menstrual health, equity, and the 5 drivers of inequity

Understand education gaps and stigma, access to products and facilities, provider bias and delayed diagnoses, poverty and policies, and gaps in research and healthcare representation

2

Access to information and solutions for educators

When people understand their menstrual cycle, they can make informed choices about their health, advocate for themselves, and break cycles of stigma.

3

Materials, facilities, and services

Access to menstrual health materials, facilities, and services means having everything needed to manage menstruation safely, comfortably, and with dignity — from affordable products and private restrooms to accurate education and supportive healthcare.

4

A respectful environment and freedom to participatE

A positive and respectful environment means classrooms, homes, clinics, and workplaces where periods are treated as natural — not dirty, disruptive, or taboo — and where menstruation can be discussed without shame, judgment, or fear.

5

Diagnosis, care, treatment and referral

Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people are more likely to have their menstrual pain dismissed, their symptoms misdiagnosed, and their conditions treated later or less aggressively than white patients.