The Extent to Which Menstruation-Related Issues Are Included in Graduate-Level Public Health Curricula

Abstract

Objectives: Menstruation is increasingly recognized as an issue in domestic and global public health. Public health graduates of U.S. schools of public health must have adequate competencies to address menstruation and its implications for health and well-being in their future endeavors in research, practice and policy. This study sought to understand the extent to which U.S. schools currently integrate menstruation-related content (menstrual health, menstrual hygiene, etc.) and related competencies into their curricula. Methods: We reviewed the course directories of the top 20 US schools of public health as ranked in 2018. Courses were selected based on inclusion of menstruation and adolescent health-related search terms. Syllabi were subsequently obtained and analyzed for inclusion of specific menstruation-related terms. Syllabi including these terms were further analyzed to determine the level of inclusion of menstruation-related topics in relation to public health competencies, and the area of specialization. Results: Of an estimated 5,000 courses assessed, 28 included menstruation-related topics. Most frequently, this inclusion was minimal (e.g., a single reading or assignment), and was limited in scope. Content was typically found within global health, environmental health, and maternal and child health. Conclusions: Given growing attention to menstruation domestically and globally, and the limited current inclusion of this issue in US schools of public health curricula, graduates may not be receiving adequate training on a critically important topic of relevance within population health. Schools should consider reviewing their curricula to assess whether there are opportunities to integrate menstruation-related content in relation to the relevant public health competencies.

Experiences of menstrual inequity and menstrual health among women and people who menstruate in the Barcelona area (Spain): a qualitative study

“…The medicalization of women has already been discussed in the literature [ 24 , 25 , 38 , 63 , 64 ]. Unsurprisingly, menstruation has for a long time been constructed as a “health issue” in need of medicalization [ 64 ] and has been critically under-addressed in public health [ 23 ]. This points to the importance of reframing menstruation as a vital sign of health [ 1 ], which does not seem implemented in clinical practice based on our results.…”

“…Even if community-based education should be promoted, the population should have better access to accurate menstruation-related information and knowledge. University curricula on healthcare, public health and education professions should also incorporate MH and MI as public health issues [ 18 , 23 ].…”

Access to Menstrual Resources as a Public Health Issue in the US and Scotland

“…A 2020 study conducted by the Columbia Mailman School's Gender, Adolescent Transitions, and Environment (GATE) Program identified a significant gap in the education of future graduate level public health professionals (Sommer et al, 2020b).…”

“…Their review of top US schools' public health curricula showed notable gaps around menstrual health (Sommer et al, 2020b). In response to their study, researchers at the GATE Program launched a freely accessible and comprehensive online course covering a wide variety of topics related to menstruation across the globe (Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, 2021).…”

“…Menstruation and menstrual health have been the subject of research across a wide variety of disciplines, culminating most recently in the publication of the first handbook dedicated to Critical Menstruation Studies . However, discussions relating to menstrual and public health, particularly in the context of non-clinical research on Western nations, have not been well represented within the field until recent years; much of the more recent non-clinical studies are focused on menstruators in low and middle income countries (LMIC) (Sommer et al, 2020b). This focus on LMIC has, however, not precluded high income countries (HIC) from entering the conversation through policy, which indicates the need for an increased understanding of menstruation in HIC contexts (Barrington et al, 2021).…”