The Importance of Menstrual Hygiene

In India, when anyone goes out to buy sanitary pads, they are packaged and given in paper bags or black polythene bags. Even in this 21st century, half the population has such a backward mindset. Don't you think that should change?!

Many people do not understand how important menstrual hygiene is for all girls. People should be educated about periods. Not just the female gender but everyone should know the importance of it and its awareness as well. I don’t even understand why people are so ashamed to talk about it. I say let's talk about it, let's get to know what that means to a girl.

At least half of the female population suffers heavy blood loss during her menstrual cycle. Do they know what that means or what causes it? If not, let me tell you about it. It's known as MENORRHAGIA commonly known as heavy periods. They are caused due to hormonal imbalance, IUD use, or medicinal side effects. This does not have a major impact on the human body and is not such a big of an issue. The heavy bleeding can be self-treated by taking anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or mefenamic acid. These medicines may help to reduce blood loss.

Infection of the reproductive tract- The contaminated products used to contain menstrual blood are breeding grounds for several bacteria like SALMONELLA, STAPHYLOCOCCUS, and E.COLI. These bacteria can enter the bloodstream directly from the mucosal membrane which is highly permeable. This can lead to SEPSIS and related complications.

In India, out of 355 million menstruating women, only 42.6% use the most basic form of menstrual hygiene product, namely disposable pads. So this means that out of such a huge woman population only 12% of the women get safe and secure menstrual treatment. Isn't this unfair to the remaining population who might just die because of not getting the required menstrual treatment? In rural parts of India, such a vast woman population has to suffer during their menstrual cycle because of not getting simple sanitation. In some articles, I even read that in rural or village areas women use dirty napkins or sand as a replacement for pads. Half of them use these due to the lack of money for buying sanitary pads and the remaining might not even know about the sanitary napkins, which is why spreading awareness and educating people about menstrual hygiene is so important. I think that free sanitary pads should be more often distributed in the rural areas or rather make it free of cost for village women so that they do not risk their health due to poverty.

PROJECTS HELD FOR THE CAUSE OF MENSTRUAL HYGIENE:

>>MENSTRUAL HYGIENE PROJECT IN INDIA is the menstrual hygiene scheme launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (GoI) for the promotion of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls (10-19 years) in rural areas of selected districts in 2011.

>>ECO FEMME-Eco Femme is a women empowerment initiative that educates girls and women about menstruation and how to have a dignified menstrual experience. This Auroville-based company produces washable and reusable cloth pads that sell internationally as well.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE KNOWN ABOUT MENSTRUAL CYCLES:

1)Change your sanitary napkins/pads frequently(at least every 6-8 hours), else you can be prone to develop rashes and vaginal yeast infections with the side effect of unpleasant odor. No matter how low the flow, it is always safe to change your sanitary pad.

2)It is suggested that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as fish, calcium, vitamin D, salt, and caffeine may reduce the risk of troublesome PMS symptoms.

3)Avoid taking medications as they always have some side effects on our body, instead try using heating bags to reduce the pain or doing simple exercises also helps.

Here, coming to an end, all that I would like to write is that menstrual hygiene is super important and that every single girl or woman should be educated about it to avoid major complications in the future. More organizations such as those listed before should be brought in. Improper hygiene during the menstrual cycle can cause diseases like bacterial infections, cervical cancer, and other reproductive tract infection! Do share your views with us. We at SHARP are trying to reach out to as many people as possible and share the importance of menstrual hygiene and sanitation and hygiene as a whole.

Ashani Gadavi

SHARP