Introduction
Mensturation or period is the part of menstural cycle, where women sheds of the uterine lining along with the blood vessels, on a regular monthly basis from the vagina. This generally lasts for 4-5 days. According to WHO, Menstural Hygiene Management(MHM) defined as women and adolescent girls using a clean menstural management material to absorb and collect blood, that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary, using soap and water for washing the body as required and having access to safe and convenient facilities to dispose off used menstural management material. They understand the basic facts linked to the menstrual cycle and how to manage it with dignity and without discomfort or fear.
Why does Menstrual hygiene matter?
Menstrual hygiene matters because it is essential for health, maintaining dignity, and gender equality. Poor health hygiene can cause health risks like Urinary tract infection or Respiratory tract infection. It is said that wearing the same pad for 8-10 hours during periods can increase the risk of UTIs or RTIs because sanitary pads serve as the breeding environment for the germs. Similarly, failing to wash hands after changing the menstrual product might result in illness. A study reported that 70% of RTIs in Indian Women are due to poor menstural hygiene. Use of soiled sanitary pads or not changing pads regularly can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease(PID), endometriosis, and the most fatal, it increases the risk of cervical cancer. Hence use of clean and safe menstrual absorbant products helps to manage the menstrual days comfortably and hygienically.
In many countries there is lack of clean toilets, lack of changing rooms, inadequate sanitation facilities, limited or no access to menstrual products, unsupportive environment to manage menstrual days. This all leads to hygiene issues and school dropouts. For example, in India, 1 in 5 girls drop out of school after they get their period. And once they grow older, they find it difficult to go to school because of socioeconomic issues. Hence, knowing good hygiene practices makes individuals feel confident, encouraging full participation at school, work, and social life.
What are the challenges faced in menstrual hygiene management?
Despite menstruation, an unique phenomenon to girls, an indicator of the onset of puberty, it is considered a sign of impurity since ancient times.It has been surrounded by secrecy, myths, and cultural taboos in many societies. This culture of silence on menstruation leads to a lack of knowledge, social support, unpreparedness for menstruation and unhygenic menstural practices. Hence, adolescent girls are often inexperienced in menstrual hygiene management.
Here comes the role of schools to raise awareness about the need for adequate menstural hygiene management. It includes providing knowledge about menstruation, sanitary products, and facilities to understand and manage their menstruation. A World Bank study highlights that “the existence of of a seperate toilet is not enough to ensure usage by women and girls. Privcy, cleanliness, safety and availability of water also matters.In 2019, WHO studied that 43% of schools globally lacks sufficient handwashing facilities and soap. Further, proper disposal facilities are needed in these toilets for sanitary products, which are also often lacking. the World Bank reported, only 10% of schools provide sanitary pads to girls.
Over 77% of mensturating girls and women in India, use old cloths, which are often re-used. About 88% women in India sometimes use ashes, newspaper, dried leaves and husk sand to aid absorption. These poor protection and inadequate washing facilities may increase risk of infection, bad odour of the menstural blood have bad impact on mental health. They are being isolated, women feel less confident, low self-esteem. The only and foremost way of combating this is spreading awareness of the biological facts of mensturation and teach about good menstural hygiene practices.
What are Good Hygiene Practices?
- Using menstural absorbent products like sanitary pads, tampons, menstural cups, period underwear.
- Wash your hands before and after using the restroom and using menstural product.
- Discard used disposable menstural products properly. Do not flush them.
- Change the menstural products regularly every 4-8 hourly.
- Wearlight wight, breathable clothing(e.g. cotton)
- Keep the genital area clean.
- Drink enough of water
- Keep track of your period.
How to spread awareness??
To break the silence and cultural taboos and myths WASH United initiated a global day dedicated to mensturation known as Mensturation hygiene day. It is celebrated on 28 May. The first menstural hygiene day was celebrated in 2014. The Menstural hygiene day serves as a catalyst, different organisation and media partners use the occassion to publish mensturation related content, spread awareness about mensturation and mensturation health hygiene.
Indian Government has taken appropriate measures to improve menstural hygiene practices through the schemes/ intervention of various ministries/ department. Under Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram(RKSK) ASHA, ANM, teachers spread awareness regarding menstural hygiene, use of sanitary napkins and their safe disposal. They distribute sanitary napkins called “Freedays” to rural adolescent girls under this program. One of the objective of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, a component of ” Mission Shakti”, is to generate awareness about menstural hygiene and use of sanitary napkins. Under Samagra shiksha scheme many sanitary pad vending machine have been installed and incinerators are being sanctioned. Under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janausadhi Pariyojana(PMBJP), oxo-biodegrable sanitary napkins named “Suvidha” have been made available over Janaushadhi kendras at rupees 1 per pad.
A positive result have been reported of all the initiative taken by the government. A survey done by NFHS-5 mensturation hygiene methods has increased from 58% to 78%. Similarly, the usage of sanitary napkins has increased from 42% to 64%.
To conclude, mensturation is not a privilage but a human right that everyone deserve. We should spread awareness about mensturation and menstural hygiene among the adolescent girls and women so that they can manage their mensturation with dignity and confidence. So let us altogether create a world where mensturation is not a taboo but a part of life that is respected and supported.
RESOURCES
- BMC Public Health
- Healthians
- World Bank Blogs
- Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
- WASH
- Menstural Hygiene Day
- Press release by Ministry of Women and Child Development
- UNICEF