Exploring the availability and accessibility of menstrual friendly public toilets (MFPTs) in urban spaces : A global multi-city audit study
Nguyen, Angela Maithy (Columbia Mailman School of Public Health)
Maroko, Andrew R. (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Nova York, Estats Units d'Amèrica))
Blake, Sarah (Columbia Mailman School of Public Health)
Sugita, Elli (Osaka University)
Fazzioni, Natália Helou (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)
Lomboy, Marian Fe Theresa C. (University of the Philippines Manila)
Bukenya, Justine (Makerere University School of Public Health)
Cole, Helen (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Gregorio, Ernesto R. (University of the Philippines Manila)
Hopper, Kim J. (Columbia Mailman School of Public Health)
Sommer, Marni (Columbia Mailman School of Public Health)

Data:	2025
Resum:	Background: Public toilets enable populations, including those who menstruate, to move through public spaces. Menstrual Friendly Public Toilets (MFPT) are accessible, safe, and clean public toilets that provide those who menstruate the space and resources to navigate cities with dignity and comfort. However, there is little evidence on the status of MFPTs in urban centers. This study assessed the menstrual friendly characteristics of public toilets in Barcelona, Kampala, Manila, New York City, Osaka, Rio de Janeiro and quantified the overall "menstrual friendliness" by city and neighborhood type. Methods: We conducted public toilet audits in four types of neighborhoods (Business, Tourist, Transit hub, Residential) in each city. The audit tool captured a range of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) characteristics. Aggregate scores ("MFPT Index") were calculated to summarize the menstrual friendliness of public toilets within the neighborhoods and across cities. Results: A total of 181 public toilet audits were analyzed. Areas around Transit hubs had the highest density of toilets, Residential areas were comparatively under resourced, and toilets in Business areas were relatively more "menstrual friendly. " The overall mean score for the MFPT Index was 0. 67, ranging between 0. 49 and 0. 79 across cities. Sub-domain scores of the MFPT Index indicated key aspects for improvement in relation to Accessibility, Structure, Privacy/Safety, General Resources, Cleanliness, and MHH Resources. Conclusion: There is a significant gap in the provision of MFPTs in urban centers. Further research is needed to understand the extent of challenges related to accessibility, structural amenities, and availability of MHH-related resources, and how they can best be addressed. Our study's findings underscore the need for the prioritization of MFPTs in public spaces to ensure all individuals have equitable access to manage their menstrual cycles.
Nota:	Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	Gender ; Menstrual health ; Menstruation ; Public toilets ; Sanitation ; Urban space
Publicat a:	Health & place, Vol. 92 (March 2025) , art. 103412, ISSN 1353-8292

DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103412
PMID: 39827055

12 p, 2.8 MB

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