Call to raise awareness on safe menstruation

Musheerabad: NGO Saciwaters, along with Water Aid India, organised an awareness meet for parents of girls, on the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Day on Tuesday. Doctors at Niloufer Hospital, Dr Japamala and Dr Padmaja, Gandhinagar Corporator Muta Padma Naresh, AMHO Hemalatha and others participated in the meeting as guests.

Explaining the importance of the day, the organiser of the program, Surender said that Menstrual Hygiene Day, which was started in Germany in 2014, is an annual awareness day celebrated on May 28 every year, and as part of the programme, awareness sessions are conducted to raise awareness to girls and their parents on good menstrual management practices.

Most of the speakers averred that there is a need to raise awareness among parents of girls on the physiological changes and growth during teenage years. Surender said that they are focusing on organizing awareness meeting, especially for people living in slums, as most of them lack awareness on menstrual hygiene.

Similarly, awareness programs are being conducted in government schools and efforts are being made to raise awareness among girls innovatively through games, such as snakes & ladders, he said. The games teach them how to manage their 'mature time' and periods, he added. During their awareness programmes, children identified with health issues were sent to primary health centres, he said.

Many girls are facing issues, such as PCOD and PCOS, due to lack of proper diet and sleep, he said. The doctors advised parents to discuss freely with children on menstrual issues and to raise their awareness on the subject.

Speakers congratulated the organisers for conducting such beneficial programs and hoped that they continue to organise such programs in the future. Among those who participated in the program include Surender, Sonalini, Munvar Chand, Saikiran, Wahid and others.