Menstrual health literacy- A crucial yet unclear concept

Citation

Ní Chéileachair F, Durand H & Caes L (2026) Menstrual health literacy- A crucial yet unclear concept. BMC Women's Health, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057261496065

Abstract
Menstrual health literacy (or menstrual literacy) is widely argued to contribute to menstrual health outcomes and self-management of symptoms. From menarche to menopause, facets of health literacy are considered insufficient, leaving many individuals without key knowledge and skills to manage their health in the context of widespread menstrual stigma. Despite a high frequency of studies calling for global improvements to menstrual health literacy rates, there is no consensus on what this term “means” in research or practice. This commentary outlines key differences across current definitions of menstrual health literacy, with reference to an existing framework of health literacy, and raises questions on how best to structure a universal definition to meet needs from menarche and beyond.

Keywords
Menstrual health literacy; menstrual health; menstrual stigma; health communication

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