The onset of menstruation is one of the most important physiological changes occurring in girls during adolescent years. It becomes part and parcel of their lives until menopause. It is necessary to keep proper menstrual hygiene for healthy living. Menstrual hygiene means using clean menstrual management materials to absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary during menstruation period, washing the body properly with clean water and having access to facilities to dispose off the used menstrual materials. It is also about ensuring girls and women's lives in an environment that values and supports their ability to manage their menstruation with dignity.
Some of the healthy practices to maintain menstrual hygiene includes firstly, changing of napkins frequently every 4-6 hours to establish vaginal hygiene. Menstrual blood, when released from the body attracts various organisms which multiply in the warmth of the blood, and cause irritation, rashes or urinary tract infections. Changing napkins regularly will curb the growth of these organisms and prevent from infections. Secondly, washing vagina regularly is extremely important, because the organisms cling to the body after you removed the sanitary napkins. Washing hands properly is of utmost importance after you wrap and discard the used tampons and sanitary napkins. Thirdly, disposing of sanitary napkins by wrapping properly before you discard them away. If one is disposing in a dustbin with other waste, the least one can do is to wrap the used sanitary napkin in a disposable wrapper which is provided by most pad manufacturers so the bacteria and infections do not spread.This is important for the hygiene and for the safety of waste pickers.
Many women experience lack of access to affordable menstrual hygiene products due to financial instability in addition to a lack of access to other services such as sanitation, proper place of disposal which lead to unhygenic management in the menstrual cycles. Reusable and washable cloth may be a sustainable sanitary option, but must be hygienically washed and dried in the sunlight. The sun’s heat is a natural steriliser and drying the cloth under it sterilises them for future use and also needs to be stored in a clean dry place for reuse to avoid contamination.
Lack of access to menstrual waste disposal also leads women to throw used products in toilet systems, pit latrines, or discard into open areas. These practices pose dangers to workers who handle these wastes as it increases possible exposure to blood borne infections in soaked menstrual products and exposure to chemicals found in menstrual hygiene products. Menstrual waste should not be ignored at home, in schools, institutions and public places. Providing Menstrual Waste bins, proper place to dispose off used pads and clean water for washing is essential for every girl and woman.
Studies have shown that plastic used in sanitary napkins available in the market is non-biodegradable and could take around a few hundred years to decompose. It is not only harmful for health, but also has negative consequences on the environment. In rural areas where there is a lack of segregation of waste, incinerating manually would be the better option as proper management of Menstrual waste is not set up in our areas. Reusable cloth may be washed and buried.
Poor menstrual hygiene is one of the major reasons for the high prevalence of Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs). If untreated, RTIs can lead to adverse health outcomes such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and increased vulnerability to the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus. Unhealthy menstrual practices can also cause cervical cancer, irritation of the skin and infections. Hence, not maintaining proper menstrual hygiene can affect the entire reproductive career of a woman.
Lack of knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene will lead to poor attitude and practice. So awareness programs on reproductive health education, access to sanitary pads and clean water, disposal of napkins and hygienic practices are essential for women to keep good reproductive health, providing knowledge and guidance especially to adolescent girls so that something as natural as menstruation does not become a thing of shame. This way, young girls in villages will also have access to pads and will know how to use and dispose off in an environmentally conscious manner.
Making affordable and eco-friendly sanitary pads in our areas will probably be a good path to entrepreneurship. It will not only maintain health and hygiene standards but will provide sustainable livelihoods and also protect our environment.
D.Yuveine
Assistant Professor
Department of Zoology
Asufii Christian Institute
Punanamei, Mao