Taking leave to bleed: Perceptions and attitudes toward menstrual leave policy

Health Care Women Int. 2019 Dec;40(12):1355-1373. doi: 10.1080/07399332.2019.1639709. Epub 2019 Aug 6.

Abstract

Menstrual leave is offered in some countries and companies; however, there is a lack of research examining perceptions or effects of the policy. We examined the U.S. public's (N = 600) perceptions of a potential menstrual leave policy. Participants were asked open-ended questions about potential effects of menstrual leave in the U.S. Using thematic analysis, five themes emerged: (a) Supporting women and women in the workplace. (b) What do men get? (c) Concerns about the effects on the workplace. (d) Just deal with it [menstruation]. (e) This policy would make women look bad. These findings are important for policy makers to consider.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Menstruation / psychology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States
  • Women's Health*
  • Workplace*
  • Young Adult