Menstrual health is a public health and human rights issue

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, of the 1·9 billion individuals who menstruate, an estimated 500 million were unable to attain menstrual health.1 Achieving menstrual health is fundamental to the equality, rights, and dignity of all individuals who menstruate. Nonetheless, menstrual health is still not considered a priority by all. As the COVID-19 pandemic puts additional pressure on existing resources, we risk leaving behind the individuals who menstruate. We advocate for the prioritisation of menstrual health as an integral part of sexual and reproductive health programmes, and for holistic approaches that address menstrual health, given that it is affected by the social determinants of health and is not just a sexual and reproductive health issue.