Research and Analysis on Menstrual Equity in Canada

Importance of Data Integrity in Health Information Management

It has been communicated that much of what is carried on in your experience at Fanshawe will carry forward to your success in the real world (e.g. as health information managers). As taught and highlighted in week 9, data
integrity is the overall accuracy, completeness, and consistency of data to the safety of data in regards to regulatory compliance — such as general data protection regulation (GDPR ) compliance — and security; maintained by a collection of processes, rules, and standards implemented during the design phase (MacLean, 2021, s7). At the same time, in week 10, you learned about databases and applied research along with addressing utilization management in week 11 and standards and safety in week 13. However, what happens when questions are asked about health equity when the information may not be in one place for a health information manager who is supporting decision support and/or policy to address population health outcomes?

This assignment requires research, analysis, deep critical thinking and writing. Specifically, the assignment requires using the library databases to search for relevant Canadian journal articles, as well as Canadian literature and policy papers using key words, all of which was taught in week 8. Key words for the Boolean search include: menstrual health + Canada + a combination of: + Health + Policy + Stigma/Perception + Products +Education. Again, please ensure you are citing all your sources using APA 7th edition documentation. Overall, this experiential learning project is scaffolding your learning from previous weeks, but it is also aiming to assist a very important cause – menstruate equity. As identified in the collaborative zoom session, Days for Girls (DfG) Canada is a notfor-profit organization advocating the end of period poverty. The big complication is that because menstrual equity, approached as a health issue, is automatically a provincial issue, the situation varies significantly among, and within, provinces and territories. This adds an extra layer of complexity to a vast Canadian landscape that is already as diverse as our actual physical landscape and the menstruators who live in it. All of that means broader and deeper research is required in order to bring federal attention, and deep systematic change, to an issue that affects all Canadians.

1. We know period poverty exists in Canada, especially in marginalized communities.
2. We know menstrual shaming is part of Canadian culture.
3. We know menstruation poses limitations on health, dignity, education, and opportunity for fulfillment.
4. We know many grass-roots, community-based organizations are advocating for Menstrual Equity in Canada so reinventing wheels can be avoided.
5. We know that the movement towards menstrual equity is being supported by a variety of “partners” in various communities.

1. To advocate effectively for all Canadian menstruators.
2. To ensure to be inclusive, understanding that not all women menstruate, and not all menstruators are women.
3. To end period poverty by providing universal access to menstrual products.
4. To shatter the stigma of menstruation, ensuring dignity, menstrual health and opportunity for every menstruator.
5. To shed light on policy changes at all government levels (federal, provincial, municipal).
6. To understand the actual needs and what is Canada’s menstrual health landscape.