Práticas de autocuidado de mulheres que menstruam em situação de rua

Abstract

The research focuses on the self-care practices of menstruating women living on the streets. Menstrual poverty is recognized as a public health issue; the term refers to the lack of access to necessary intimate hygiene products during menstruation and the precarious availability of basic sanitation, which makes it impossible to access adequate places for hygiene. When it comes to homeless women, their vulnerability is even greater due to menstrual insecurity, in addition to the psychological strain associated with a lack of resources to manage menstruation. Given the above, the aim is to analyze the self-care practices performed by menstruating women living on the streets. This is a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study. Data collection used semi-structured interviews and lasted from April to September 2024. Thirteen menstruating women living on the streets participated. Dorothea Orem's Self-Care framework was used to analyze the results. It was possible to identify the characteristics of these women: vulnerability, menstrual insecurity, and physical, emotional, and psychological distress, thus emerging two analytical categories: 1) It's so bad to menstruate on the street, really bad! 2) Self-care practices: pads, cloths, cotton balls, or whatever is available! Homeless women demonstrate significant limitations in meeting therapeutic self-care needs related to daily hygiene. The lack of adequate resources forces them to resort to improvised methods, such as using open-air land for basic needs, taps in public squares, or restrooms in commercial establishments, demonstrating a self-care deficit. This situation not only exposes them to the risk of infection and physical embarrassment, but also impacts their mental health, culminating in a notable loss of self-esteem and social isolation, which exacerbates their inability to perform the self-care necessary for their overall well-being. The need to strengthen public policies to address menstrual poverty is highlighted, recognizing it as a self- care deficit that is both public health and social justice. The lack of adequate support directly violates the human rights to health, dignity, and gender equality. This problem transcends the mere lack of products, revealing a structural inequality that demands interdisciplinary approaches, ethical commitment, and effective public actions that are sensitive to women's self-care needs. Ensuring better conditions, including access to basic health care, would not only facilitate survival during this period, but would also contribute to the preservation of their physical and emotional integrity.