The theme this year for World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021 is “Action and Investment in Menstrual Hygiene and Health”. Globally, more than 800 million girls and women menstruate every day, of which about 500 million lack access to adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene. Also, many of them are not even aware of the basic sanitation and hygiene measures. Due to unhygienic conditions, many females suffer from various diseases and infections. Not only this, while females go through a lot of trouble during this time, in many parts of the world including India, there are many unnecessary rules, regulations, and superstitions associated with it.
MHDay was first initiated by a non-profit German organization WASH United in 2013. An interesting fact to know is that the date 28th May (28/05/****) was chosen because the average duration of the menstrual cycle is 28 days and the average menstruation period is 5 days.
Research conducted in the year 2016 on 100,000 Indian girls on "Menstrual Cycle Management Faculty among Adolescent Girls in India" revealed that till the beginning of menstruation, about 50,000 girls are not aware of what menstruation is. At the same time, in another research conducted in 2014 by Dasra titled “Spot on!”, it was found that about 23 million girls in India are forced to leave school every year due to menstrual problems, lack of related information, and facilities. Also, a large number of girls take 5 days off from school during that time of the month.
Our expert Dr. Prachi Maheshwari, Gynecologist based in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh says, “Even today in our country most women do not talk openly about menstruation and problems related to it and are not even aware of the precautions to be taken during this time. In rural areas, the number of women facing various problems and infections is higher than in urban areas due to lack of hygiene or care during menstruation.
Things To Keep In Mind During Menstruation
According to the National Family Health Survey conducted in the year 2015-2016, out of about 336 million women in India, 36 percent i.e. 121 million women use sanitary napkins during menstruation. A large number of women still use clothes in our country. Dr. Prachi says that regardless of the age of the woman, it is very important for everyone to pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene during menstruation. During this, it is important to keep the following points in mind:
- Change the sanitary napkin or pad at least after every 6 hours. If the bleeding is more, it should be changed more often.
- Do not use old and dirty clothes instead of pads. The risk of infection is higher if clothes are used.
- Keep cleaning the genital area (vagina and the area around it) from time to time.
- Bath regularly, especially during menstruation. Bathing with hot water can help in providing relief from menstrual pain.
- If you are traveling and have the urge to use a toilet, ensure that the toilets are clean as there is a high risk of infection during this time.
- Take special care of what you eat and drink. Try to have easily digestible food.
- Wear clean and washed underwear and do not use two pads simultaneously.
Also Read: Menstrual Migraine: Headaches Before, During And Post Your Period
Myths/Taboos Related To Menstruation And What To Know
In our country, not only in the rural areas but in urban areas as well, many unnecessary rules are followed and believed, associated with menstruation. Dr. Prachi says that these taboos are blindly believed, which affects girls and women both physically and mentally. Some of these taboos are- females cannot touch certain specific foods like pickles, because their touch can spoil it, they should not wash hair for the first two days of menstruation, they should stay in the room only and not enter the kitchen and they should not do any household chores or exercises, etc.
In reality, all these beliefs are myths and do not have any scientific reason linked to them. The only valid rule seems to be abstaining a woman from doing any household chores so that she gets enough rest. Apart from this, our expert suggests that during menstruation, females must maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness of the body. If she suffers from abdominal pain, bathing with hot water can provide great relief.
Women do not generally face any problem while playing any kind of sports, exercising, or doing household chores or office work. However, if she suffers from cramps, pain, or weakness, adequate rest should be taken. Dr. Prachi says that if a woman faces the issue of irregular periods, unbearable pain, excessive bleeding, less bleeding, or white discharge before or after menstruation, she must consult a gynecologist immediately.
