Menstruation is a wonderful natural phenomenon designed to occur in all women. The start of menstruation is termed Menarche and the end, as Menopause. Although the process of menstruation is a completely natural circumstance, it is unfortunately surrounded by many myths and taboos. These myths were secondary to mostly religious reasons and a lack of awareness regarding its physiology.

 In developing countries, women bear the brunt of inadequate resources & proper education to help them manage their menstrual cycles. Hence, spreading awareness regarding what is normal menstruation and educating about exercising hygiene during menstruation is the need of the hour. 

This will ensure safe practices and help in eradicating misconceptions around it. Menstrual hygiene is defined by UNICEF as access to menstrual hygiene products to absorb or collect the flow of blood during menstruation, privacy to change the materials, and access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials.

How does one maintain general hygiene during Menstruation?

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines:

→ Maintaining proper hygienic practices can help prevent reproductive tract infections or urinary tract infections. This can have future implications like Infertility or even cancers like cervical cancer. Good Hygiene practices include:

• Various menstrual products can be used during periods like sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups and menstrual discs.
• It is advisable to wash hands thoroughly before and after using any menstrual products.
• Changing sanitary pads at timely intervals can help prevent infection or vaginal rashes.
• Similarly, tampons should be changed every 4-5 hours, even if not completely soaked.
• If one is using menstrual cups (silicon or rubber), it is essential to sanitise them in boiling water before use (They are reusable & environment-friendly options).
• Avoid using scented products, which can cause allergic skin reactions or interfere with the vagina’s natural environment.
• Keeping the vaginal area clean is of great importance. Using plain water and mild soap is enough to cleanse the vagina. Using various vaginal washes, etc. can be harmful.
• Always wash from front to back (vagina to the anal area) to avoid any transfer to bacteria.
• Wear lightweight cotton clothing and most importantly visit your OBGY for an annual check-up / Pap smear or if you experience any menstrual irregularities.

How to prevent issues in future?

Handling challenges related to the taboo of menstruation can go a long way in securing every girl’s future. Abnormal menstrual cycles lead to school dropouts or missing school, affecting the overall confidence of every adolescent girl.

A 2016 Indian study found that a quarter of girls failed to attend school during periods due to a lack of washroom facilities or privacy of toilets. Raising awareness can abolish irrelevant social norms and prevent issues like body shaming of women and even gender-based violence. 

It is important for schools, teachers and families to openly address the topic of menstruation and sanitation. This can decrease the stigma around menstruation and promote better, safer health for every woman.

We introduced the ‘GROWING UP’ programme for adolescents under the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Society of India. This programme was started to help young women know about their menstrual and reproductive health and was implemented in over 24 cities and 500 schools in India. 

Our app called ‘TOO SHY TO ASK” has helped many adolescents learn facts and debunk myths about sexual concerns and menstrual hygiene! One can easily download this app to address the above issues.

How to dispose of products used during menstruation?

The disposal of sanitary items is a major global concern. In India, about 121 million women use an average of 8 disposable pads per month, resulting in nearly 12.3 billion pads waste each year! It is critical to dispose of used items in a controlled manner. Avoiding direct flushing and wrapping them in a tissue can help to protect the environment.

- Using environmentally friendly and biodegradable pads with anti-bacterial properties will aid in the prevention of sewage system blockages and unmanageable home trash.

- At the community level, providing dustbins and erecting incinerators can help with proper disposal.

- Subsidies as well as non-governmental organisations.

Urban & Rural

Although menstrual health is a public health issue there is a high disparity in its understanding among urban and rural women. The Government launched the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram in 2014 to facilitate easy access to sanitary pads among adolescents in rural areas.

• Intense focus has to be put on the Grassroot level to endorse safe menstrual practices, by increasing correct media exposure, newer schemes, availability of subsidised menstrual products, providing facilities for disposal of soiled napkins and commencing menstrual health education right from homes to schools and communities.