Women perception of the menstrual flow and its correlation with buying choice of menstrual hygiene productos

Abstract

Objective: To relate the use of the menstrual collector to other menstrual hygiene products, as well as the perception of the body and the menstrual flow by Brazilian women, since the theme is still little discussed in Brazil. Bibliographic review: Menstruation is a physiological phenomenon and, despite this, it is stigmatized and considered a taboo by sociocultural standards. Exposure to these standards can define the way women experience and qualify it. The menstrual collector, despite existing since the 19th century, is only now gaining notoriety in Brazil. Its use is important from an environmental and economic point of view, besides enabling a greater empowerment and social development of women, especially because it implies a greater knowledge of the body by women themselves. Final considerations: Naturalizing menstruation is a necessary process, after all, a large part of the Brazilian population menstruates. And, even with the many benefits of menstrual collectors, there is still a lot of resistance to their use, which may be related to the stigmatization of menstruation and the female body. Therefore, it is not enough just to normalize, it is necessary to enable and guide the female population to have a more honest and conscious perception about their physiology and their empowerment in society.