Over 3 billion people live in areas highly vulnerable to climate change and suffer its effects on their health.
According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 3.6 billion people currently live in areas highly vulnerable to climate change and are suffering its effects on their health. Those most affected include marginalised communities, minority groups, older adults, and children. Sex and gender are also factors to consider when discussing the climate crisis and its health consequences. For example, some studies have shown that food insecurity and lack of resources following a natural disaster increase the risk of sexual and domestic violence for girls and women.
A vulnerable population: The double burden of climate and health
Other research has highlighted that heat waves — which the climate crisis is making more intense and frequent in Italy and Europe — can harm pregnancy outcomes. Meanwhile, various analyses, testimonies, and research are highlighting how the climate crisis also affects the menstrual cycle and menstruating bodies, both in the short and long term.
Menstrual health — the state of physical, mental, and social well-being associated with the menstrual cycle — can be considered as such if one has access to a series of essential goods, services, and even information, as well as the absence of conditions and diseases. From clean water to a welcoming, supportive, and caring environment, the climate crisis makes all of this precarious and inaccessible.
Real-world consequences: voices from Pakistan and Bangladesh
In a qualitative study in Pakistan’s Chitral district — a disaster-prone mountain region increasingly affected by the climate crisis — some women, displaced following a flood, shared their experiences in temporary camps and shelters. Here, conditions were absolutely precarious, with overcrowded tents, extreme temperatures, and distant sanitary facilities.
Having their period in this context represented an additional reason for discomfort. “Thinking about that time makes us want to cry,” said one woman interviewed. She also recalls using old clothes instead of pads, struggling to wash them, and re-wearing them for days due to limited water and space.
Anika Tasneem, a staff member of the non-governmental organisation, WaterAid, told BBC Asian Network how menstrual poverty in Bangladesh is further exacerbated by the climate crisis. She also states that rising sea levels lead to increased salinity in freshwater sources. “Finding drinking water is increasingly difficult, and some women have to walk miles—literally miles—to collect a bucket of water. I remember meeting a girl who had her first period at 12: she used old clothes that she would wash in contaminated salt water and developed a series of infections and skin rashes.”
Read also: Changing periods: 4 women share their dynamic journey with menstrual cycles
The multiple threats: how climate events affect menstrual well-being
The climate crisis affects menstrual health on multiple levels. For example, extreme events, such as floods and fires, can force people to abandon their homes and compromise transportation and water infrastructure. It can also affect the distribution and availability of hygienic and menstrual products, access to clean water, and waste disposal, thus making menstrual management particularly difficult.
Additionally, access to clean water, a phenomenon like drought, which has also affected some Italian regions in recent years, can jeopardise food security and the availability of food. This can generate nutritional deficiencies that impact menstrual health. Heat waves, on the other hand, can worsen menstrual pain and increase the risk of infections, as well as, as some studies suggest, cause hormonal imbalances.
Studies link air pollution to early puberty and irregular menstrual cycles. Society also overlooks and marginalises menstruating bodies, showing little awareness or consideration for their needs. Following extreme events, people often underestimate or completely ignore the needs of those menstruating. For example, a study in Pakistan notes that aid providers included tents, food, blankets, and mattresses among essential goods for displaced people but excluded hygienic and menstrual products. The stigma only makes things worse. In emergency contexts, where privacy and access to adequate products are often lacking, having to manage menstruation can generate additional psychological distress, especially among girls having their first period and trans* people.
Beyond the taboo: advocating for dignity and support
Experts, activists, and organisations have long advocated a series of actions and measures to ensure the world doesn’t overlook the connection between the climate crisis and the menstrual cycle. They have also advocated for measures to ensure a guaranteed menstrual health even in emergency contexts.
Among the various recommendations are ensuring access to menstrual products, hygiene services, and medical support. Listening to and addressing the needs of those directly affected, while continuing to investigate how the climate crisis impacts menstrual health. At the same time, to work to break down the taboos that still surround the menstrual cycle, so that menstruating individuals receive respect and support in emergencies — without shame, stigma, or added worry. As Anika Tasneem wrote: “It’s not just a hygiene issue, it’s a question of dignity, safety, and justice.”
This story was originally published by Alessandra Vescio on the Marie Claire Italy website.
Translated and syndicated for Marie Claire Nigeria by Tobi Afolabi.
