Impact of the Flo Cycle Tracking App on menstrual knowledge and health in low-income and middle-income countries: a longitudinal study
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Over two billion people menstruate worldwide, and many lack the resources, social support and accurate information required to manage their menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) safely and with dignity.1 Inadequate MHH management is linked to reproductive health issues as well as feelings of exclusion, shame and stigma.2 3 Menstrual stigma complicates menstrual management in schools and workplaces, driving absenteeism that limits girls’ education and women’s economic opportunities.4 Stigma commonly presents as fear of leaks, odour or teasing and is exacerbated by non-private or unhygienic toilets. Adolescent girls report skipping school to avoid embarrassment,5 6 with comparable patterns documented in workplaces, where women lose paid days because of inadequate facilities and social norms dictating they stay home while bleeding.