Because of the filthy toilets in middle or high school, one in three teenagers systematically avoids going there. The consequences on health are numerous.
Smells of urine, lack of soap or even clogged toilets … So many arguments invoked by high school students to justify their disgust with the toilets. The report of theNational Observatory for Safety and Accessibility of Educational Institutions (ONS), made public on March 11, points to a serious failure. Out of 16,000 schools questioned, a third admitted that some students gave up using the school’s sanitary facilities.
Lack of paper, soap, foul odors …
In fact, many deteriorations of school toilets are reported by the students and the administration. They range from simple graffiti on the wall to floors impregnated with urine for half of the men’s toilets, including the vast majority of clogged bowls (61.5% of cases) – therefore unusable. These hygiene problems are rarely taken into account by establishments, according to the ONS report. 6 in 10 clean toilets once a day, a third do it twice. But in case of immediate need, only one in five provide immediate cleaning.
The hygiene of the toilets leaves something to be desired in the eyes of young people attending school. At the top of the complaints is the lack of paper (42%), closely followed by odors (32%) and lack of soap (25%). Cleanliness and degraded equipment are also mentioned by a good number of young people. As a direct consequence, according to the thesis of Dr Bénédicte Hoarau (2013), cited by the ONS: one in 3 teenagers never goes to school toilets and a good number only go there in case of “pressing need. “
Abdominal pain and symptoms
The direct consequences on the health of students should not be overlooked. “The state of the sanitary facilities is not without consequences on the hygiene and health problems of young people: pathologies induced, risks of bacteriological transmission, damage to the well-being of people …” underlines the ONS report. Also reported are abdominal pain and symptoms in young people who avoid the school bathroom, such as stomach aches, constipation, burning during urination or urinary incontinence. Holding back presents health risks: urinary tract infections, chronic constipation… According to Dr Bénédicte Hoarau, “it is the girls who suffer the most from the disorders identified. »But very few establishments make adolescents aware of the importance of good sanitary hygiene.
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