Personal Hygiene in Women

by I-Care Club       April 21, 2018

Most aspects of personal hygiene are common to both gender, but women also have some special considerations. These are related to the way their bodies are built as well as common lifestyle activities. Females must pay special attention to these areas, as well as overall cleanliness, as part of a thorough personal hygiene routine.

Definition

General personal hygiene is defined as being clean to avoid becoming offensive to others and to protect yourself and others from disease. It involves activities like bathing regularly and using deodorant to prevent body odor and brushing your teeth frequently to keep your mouth healthy and avoid bad breath. Good personal hygiene also includes covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and washing your hands frequently to avoid transmitting germs.

Special Considerations

Women have some special areas to consider for personal hygiene. Those who are of reproductive age have a monthly menstrual cycle, which requires more attention to cleanliness. Protection must be changed several times a day, and showering or bathing become even more important for cleanliness and odor control.

Most women wear makeup regularly, which requires special attention when cleansing the face, as part of your total health care. Women in many western countries, including America, keep their armpits and legs clean shaven, which requires regular hair removal with a razor, cream or wax.

Many women also wear long hair, which should be kept clean. However, it does not have to be washed daily for maximum hygiene because natural oils contribute to healthy hair but recommends washing hair every other day.

Benefits

Good personal hygiene is beneficial to other people because it prevents the spread of germs, but it also benefits the individual in many ways. Women who do not practice good hygiene can become ill or get infections. For example, not maintaining a clean genital area or not changing underwear daily can lead to bladder infections and other vaginal problems. Not properly cleaning makeup off the face can cause an eye and skin infection. These and other problems are prevented by staying clean.

Cleanliness also makes a good impression on others in a woman's personal and professional relationships.

Education

Young girls generally learn about good personal hygiene from their mothers or other female family members. They may not get thorough information if they grow up in a family that shies away from talking about certain subjects. However, most schools have health classes that include hygiene-related information

so school-age girls will generally learn the basics. Then their knowledge will expand as they interact with their peers.

  

How to Boost Women's Health

Women's health concerns are a little different from those of men. If you're a woman, these tips will soon have you feeling fit and energetic.

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To look and feel your best at every age, it’s important to make smart lifestyle and health choices. Here are six simple things that women can do every day (or with regularity) to ensure good health:

Health Tip #1: Eat a healthy diet. Eat as close to a natural foods diet as you can, a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods. Eat whole grains and high-fiber foods and choose leaner cuts of meat, fish, and poultry. Include low-fat dairy products in your diet as well — depending on your age, you need between 800 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium daily to help avoid osteoporosis, Avoid foods and beverages that are high in calories, sugar, salt, and fat.

Healthy eating will help you maintain a proper weight for your height, which is important because being overweight can lead to a number of illnesses. Looking for a healthy snack? Try some raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, or zucchini with dip made from low-fat yogurt.

If you’re not getting enough vitamins and nutrients in your diet, you might want to take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement to make sure you’re maintaining good health.

Health Tip #2: Exercise. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women, but plenty of exercise can help keep your heart healthy. You want to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, if not every day. Aerobic exercises (walking, swimming, jogging, bicycling, and dancing) are good for women’s health in general and especially for your heart.

Health Tip #3: Avoid risky habits. Stay away from cigarettes and people who smoke. Don’t use drugs. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Most women’s health studies show that women can safely consume one drink a day. A drink is considered to be about 12 to 14 grams of alcohol, which is equal to 12 ounces of beer (4.5 percent alcohol); 5 ounces of wine (12.9 percent alcohol); or 1.5 ounces of spirits (hard liquor such as gin or whiskey, 80-proof).

Health Tip #4: Manage stress. No matter what stage of her life — daughter, mother, grandmother — a woman often wears many hats and deals with a lot of pressure and stress. Take a few minutes every day just to relax and get your perspective back again, It doesn’t take long, and mental health is important to your physical well-being.” You also can manage stress with exercise, relaxation techniques, or meditation.

Health Tip #5: Sun safely. Excessive exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can cause skin cancer, which can be deadly. To protect against skin cancer, wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 if you are going to be outdoors for more than a few minutes. Even if you wear sunscreen faithfully, you should check regularly for signs of skin cancer. Warning signs include any changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, or freckles, or new, enlarging, pigmented, or red skin areas. If you spot any changes or you find you have sores that are not healing, consult your doctor.

Health Tip #6: Check for breast cancer. You should be on the lookout for any changes in your breasts and report any concerns to your doctor. All women 40 and older should get a yearly mammogram as a mammogram is the most effective way of detecting cancer in its earliest stages, when it is most treatable.

A woman’s health needs change as she ages, but the basics of women’s health remain the same. If you follow these six simple healthy living tips, you will improve your quality of life for years to come.

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Menstrual Hygiene — A Necessity | I-Care

Menstrual Hygiene — A Necessity | I-Care

April 02, 2018

Menstrual hygiene plays a very important role in a woman’s life. While most people are well aware of its importance, only a few women have access to proper facilities to ensure hygiene.

Menstrual Hygiene — A Necessity | I-Care

When it comes to menstrual health in India, there are several barriers. First, there are absurd notions and taboos to be overcome. A report on a student project in the Economic Times in July 2017, stated that many women found it awkward to discuss menstrual health, because of the superstitions attached. Many were even scared of being seen disposing of sanitary napkins. 

Data from the 2011 census states that merely 12% of India’s total 355 million women use sanitary napkins. Around 70% women in India say they can’t afford sanitary napkins. The remaining 88% adopt dangerous alternatives like ashes, non-sanitized cloth and husk sand. (Source) Hopefully, things have changed in the past seven years but we still have a long way to go.

According to the National Family Health Survey 2015-16, about 58 percent of women aged between 15 to 24 years use locally prepared napkins, sanitary napkins and tampons. Further, about 78 percent women in urban areas use hygienic methods of protection during menstrual period; only 48 percent women in rural areas have access to clean sanitary napkins. 

Poor menstrual hygiene has led to a spike in the cases of Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) by 70%. The absence of menstrual protection not only affects women’s health but also impacts their ability to continue their daily activities. It is reported that, in rural areas, a vast majority of girls between 12 and 18 years of age miss school for five days every month. Some of them are not allowed to study further after they start menstruating.

Unfortunately, a lot of women are either not allowed to openly talk about menstruation or are hesitant to, especially to the men in their family. They are not allowed to visit temples or the kitchen, etc, which further adds to the silence about this vital and perfectly normal issue that concerns almost half the world’s population.

It is ironic such myths exist in a land where menstruating goddesses are worshipped. There is a temple in Assam where the goddess Kamakhya Devi is said to be menstruating in the month of June. (Source). It is believed that menstruation represents a woman’s creativity and her power to give birth. Hence, the temple celebrates the goddess’ period every year.

But, sadly, this is not the situation for a lot of women. Due to lack of affordability and the taboos associated with menstruation, many women do not have proper access to hygiene, making them prone to several diseases. It also leads to a lack of understanding and ignorance among women in rural areas.

Arunachalam Muruganantham, the man behind Coimbatore’s sanitary pad revolution, says he had to face a lot of criticism when he tried to create a low-cost sanitary napkin for his wife. Eventually, his wife and his mother left him because he was ostracized by the village, who thought that he was a pervert. But he went on to invent a machine to make low-cost sanitary pads for which he was featured in TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2016. (Source)

Initiatives like these can help improve the situation but we still have a long way to go. Menstrual hygiene is every woman’s right and we need more campaigns to spread awareness and fight against the taboo. NGOs and social groups that focus on women need to promote low cost initiatives that make sanitary napkins affordable for all.

Here are a few tips on maintaining menstrual hygiene:

• Take a shower or bath at least once a day.
• Change pads/tampons regularly to prevent infections.
• Wear clean undergarments and make it a point to change them regularly.
• Never use soap to clean the genital area, as the vagina has its own self-cleaning system and doesn’t need any external agents for cleaning. Hence, always use plain water after each visit to the toilet.
• Always make sure to keep the genital area dry, else it might cause irritation.

For women who find it difficult to afford sanitary napkins, some other products that can be used are –

• Menstrual cups
• Reusable pads
• Reusable menstrual sponges
• Non-chlorine bleached cotton pads and tampons
• DIY sanitary pads – There are easy and simple methods to make your own affordable sanitary pad. For example, http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Reusable-Menstrual-Pads

The cultural taboos are slowly diminishing thanks to awareness. Now, thankfully, cost and location won’t be a barrier, as ‘Suvidha’ will literally make it convenient for many.

Launched by the government of India on March 8, 2018, ‘Suvidha’ pads are oxo-biodegradable and will be made available in packs of 4, priced at Rs. 2.50 per pad. They will be found across 586 Indian districts, at Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi centres.

REMEMBER TO STAY CLEAN TO STAY HEALTHY!