Project

Menstrual health plays a crucial role in advancing the human rights of girls, women, transgender boys/men, and other gender minorities who menstruate (i.e., people who menstruate), as well as in achieving gender equality and other Sustainable Development Goals. CROSS-MINDS is a cross-country exploratory comparative study in France and Portugal to identify key menstrual health indicators through a participatory approach with consensus methodologies. The co-constructed indicators could serve to improve the understanding of the diversity of menstrual health experiences, the associations between menstrual health and other health domains (e.g., physical health, social health, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health), and to inform public decision-making.

This observational exploratory study aims to identify key indicators of menstrual health, that are comparable, robust, and relevant to health policies, and promote their integration into French and Portuguese national health information systems through a participatory approach and consensus methodologies. 

The specific objectives of the present study are: 

1. Co-create an operational definition of menstrual health through a Delphi panel with experts and stakeholders at a multidisciplinary and multisectoral level in France and Portugal; 
2. Identify menstrual health indicators that are socially and culturally appropriate to the specific contexts;
3. Identify opportunities and obstacles to adopting indicators that allow for more effective and culturally sensitive interventions.

By highlighting similarities and differences between the health systems of France and Portugal, identifying best practices and areas for improvement, and defining research and intervention priorities, this study can inform decision-making processes and serve as a model for other countries seeking to improve their health policies through participatory and evidence-based approaches.