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!