Menstrual Hygiene Management in Women With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Introduction: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) comprises not only the use of appropriate materials, but also access to information, privacy conditions, and basic infrastructure for body care, constituting an essential component of dignity and health care. Among populations with specific needs, women with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face additional challenges in menstrual hygiene management. The characteristics of ASD, related to difficulties in communication, social interaction, and characteristic behavioral patterns, may interfere with the understanding of bodily signals and the organization of self-care, directly impacting menstrual cycle management Objective: To analyze the scientific evidence on menstrual hygiene management in women with autism spectrum disorder Method: An Integrative Review will be conducted. To ensure the rigor of the reporting of this research, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist, PRISMA Protocols, PRISMA Search, and PRISMA Abstracts will be used. The information sources include: MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC), Scopus, LILACS, Cumulative Index Nursing Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Biomedical Answer (EMBASE), and Google Scholar. The thesauri used will be adapted according to the specificity of each information source. The studies will be organized and duplicates will be excluded using the EndNote online reference manager. Study screening (reading of titles and abstracts and full-text reading) will be conducted using the Rayyan Systematic Review web application, following the eligibility criteria. The inclusion criteria are: primary studies addressing menstrual hygiene management in women with autism spectrum disorder, published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with no defined time frame. The exclusion criteria are: review studies, editorials, response letters, and studies referring to transgender women. Data will be extracted from the included studies using the Data Extraction Form for Included Primary Studies, developed by the authors of this study. To assess methodological quality, the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice model will be used. The analysis and synthesis of the results will be performed descriptively and organized into synthesis tables. Expected Results: This literature review may deepen the understanding of the various impacts of different types of difficulties in menstrual hygiene management among autistic women, offering new knowledge that will benefit health professionals and researchers.
Source: OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214598978