All You Need To Know About Menstrual Hygiene Day
What Is Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day)
Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) is a global advocacy platform that brings together the voices and actions of non-profits, government agencies, individuals, the private sector and the media to promote good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for all women and girls.
The Berlin-based non-profit WASH United initiated MH Day in 2013 and ever since has remained the overall MH Day global coordinator.
We at Family Health are passionate about building awareness and increasing your knowledge, skills and confidence in managing your menstrual hygiene. We want to see an improved access to menstrual hygiene materials and facilities so you can experience your monthly menses with ease and dignity.
Goals Of Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day)
- To empower you to learn, play and take care of her health without stress, shame, barriers to information or lack of access to safe and affordable menstrual material and supplies when you’re on your period.
- Engage decision-makers at the national and local levels to increase the political priority for MHM and facilitate action.
- To ensure you have safe menstruation with dignity for all women and girls!
First of all, we have to define a few key terms. Menstruation, also known as period or menses is the physiological or natural process of the body shedding thickened uterine lining and associated blood through the vagina. This occurs on a monthly basis as part of the menstrual cycle.
Menstrual cycle
Menstrual cycle involves series of hormone-driven changes that prepare a woman’s body for a possible pregnancy. It occurs each month during the years between puberty and menopause.
During a menstrual cycle, the ovary releases one mature egg, and the uterine lining builds up in preparation for fertilization and implantation. However, if a pregnancy fails to happen, the lining of the uterus sheds and flows out through the vagina as menstrual flow.
Puberty occurs when a child undergoes a process of physical changes, matures into an adult body and becomes capable of sexual reproduction. Puberty is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the ovaries in a girl, and to the testes in a boy.
On the other hand, menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of menstrual cycles. It is diagnosed after 12 months without a menstrual period in women in their 40s or 50s.
Menarche is the beginning of menstruation. It is your first menstrual period. It occurs on the average at the age of 12 years. But it can also happen at 9 or 11 years of age.
What Is Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)?
MHM refers to how you take care of your hygiene during your menstrual period. Now, according to the definition of WHO and UNICEF, MHM entails:
- Your ability to use a clean menstrual hygiene material (pad, cloth, tampon or cup) to collect or absorb menstrual blood
- Change your menstrual hygiene material in privacy as often as necessary when menstruating
- Use soap and water for washing your body as you may require
- Access safe and convenient facilities (toilets, water) to discard used menstrual management materials
- Understand all there is to know about your menstrual cycle and how to manage it with dignity, and without fear or discomfort
Menstrual Hygiene Challenges Faced By Girls and Women
Many girls and women in Nigeria struggle with good menstrual hygiene. They are unable to manage their menses with ease and dignity. This is even worse during emergencies. In Nigeria, for example, 25% of women do not have access to adequate privacy for defecation or management of menstrual hygiene.
According to UNESCO, 1 in 10 African girls do not go to school because of menstruation. This eventually leads to higher school dropout rates. In India, 43% to 88% of adolescent girls use reusable cloth for their periods but do not clean them properly.
Also, in another study in 2010, WASH United found that 73% of Bangladeshi garment workers miss work for an average of six work days per month without pay, due to infections caused by unsanitary menstrual materials
A study in Sokoto, Nigeria revealed low level of knowledge of menstruation, low teachers’ rating as MH information source, and absence of MH and hygiene topics in the textbooks used in majority of secondary schools nationwide.
So many women and girls cannot practice good menstrual hygiene at home, school, work and other public settings due to:
- Poor facilities
- Inaccurate information
- limited choice of menstrual hygiene materials
- and discriminatory social norms
Poor Menstrual Hygiene And Health Risks
Poor menstrual hygiene caused by a lack of education on menstrual health and hygiene, persisting taboos and stigma, limited access to hygienic menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure undermines the educational opportunities, health and overall social status of women and girls around the world. As a result, millions of women and girls are kept from reaching their full potential. Poor menstrual hygiene can lead to many issues, such as fungal or bacterial infections of the reproductive tract and the urinary tract.
Health Risks Of Unhealthy Menstrual Practices
- Skin gets irritated, causing discomfort – dermatitis – a condition in which the skin swells, turns red, and may become sore with blisters.
- Entry of bacteria into the urethra – urinary tract infection, anywhere in the urinary tract. This be fatal and if left untreated can damage the kidneys.
- Harmful bacteria grow, causing a genital tract infection when in contact with the genital tract. This again could damage the vagina.
- Change in the pH balance of vaginal secretions may occur, leading to a change in the natural flora. A high pH level provides a conducive environment for unhealthy bacteria to grow.
- A delicate balance of good and bad bacteria living in the vagina exists. If this balance is disturbed, bacterial vaginosis (BV) may occur.
- Susceptibility to cervical cancer is increased due to reproductive tract infections and UTIs. Cervical cancer is the cancer of the cervix (‘mouth’ of the uterus) and is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Unhygienic practices also make women prone to becoming infertile.
How To Maintain Good Hygiene During Your Period
- Use a sanitary napkin, tampon, or menstrual cup and stick to the one you prefer
- Change your sanitary napkin, tampon or menstrual cup as often as necessary, even when there is minimal bleeding. Menstrual blood tends to get contaminated with the body’s native organisms, so change regularly. When you change regularly you avoid skin rashes.
- Wash your genitals regularly and make sure the blood in and around the vagina is washed away effectively. Try to wash every time you change. You feel cleaner and healthier and it protects your private part.
- Take spare napkins/tampons with you at all times, especially if you’re going out. Don’t wait until you get home to change. Ensure that you keep them in a clean bag. You can add a soft towel, and a hand sanitizer.
Ensuring hygiene during one’s period is not a tough task. With a little effort it’s easy to maintain good cleanliness.
Improving Menstrual Health And Hygiene
In line with UNICEF’s initiative, I will discuss four areas we can improve girls’ and women’s menstrual health and hygiene. These areas include knowledge and skills, access to menstrual hygiene materials and supplies, social support and facilities and services.
Knowledge and Skills
Do you know that many girls experience their first menstrual period without any knowledge about menses? How do you feel if you’re the one? Of course you may be afraid and stressed out. I know about some taboos around puberty education in our environment which delay critical information about menstruation until a girl has had her first period.
We have to teach girls the biology of the menstrual cycle and provide them with the opportunity to learn the skills to manage their menstruation safely and privately. They also need to understand the pain they may have during their period.
Boys need to learn and understand the changes to the bodies of their female peers to build social support. Teachers, traditional leaders and parents should have accurate information that places them in a good position to support girls during menstruation.
Social support
We don’twant to see discriminatory beliefs and attitudes against women and girls as these make them have their menses with shame and embarrassment.
Girls face unsupportive social environments in schools. For example, they face challenges like stress, restriction to food choices, teasing and restriction to school attendance.
So community leaders, peers, religious leaders, teachers and parents should not exclude girls from daily activities during their period stigmatize them. We must change their perceptions and practices surrounding menstruation.
Access to menstrual materials
Women and girls should have access to high quality, appropriate hygienic absorbent materials to manage their menses but this is lacking in many developing countries.
Government should set standards for a range of affordable and appropriate products. They should go for products that satisfy their needs and preferences. There is need to improve the availability, affordability, sustainability and choice of material. For example, the government can remove tariffs on sanitary products.
Facilities and services
Girls and women lack toilets, disposal mechanisms and water to manage their menses at home, school, at work and in other public institutions like hospitals and government buildings. Menstruation can cause girls to miss out on their education. So there is need for the establishment of safe, appropriate and sustainable facilities and services to ensure culturally-appropriate, safe and efficient hygiene and waste management. These facilities will ensure women and girls manage their menses safely, comfortably and privately.
Final Thoughts
- All girls should receive menstrual hygiene education before they get their first period!
- I want all women and girls to have access to period-friendly toilets everywhere!
- All women and girls should be able to afford the menstrual products of their choice!
- There should be open conversations about menstruation!
- I want a world in which no woman or girl is limited because of her period!
- There should be increased investment in menstrual health and hygiene!
- I wish men and boys were understanding and supportive!
- This year’s menstrual hygiene day calls for celebration!
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