Tough times for adolescent girl students

Visakhapatnam: A class 8th girl student as usually went to the school in the morning and after two classes, she went to washroom and crying there all alone. A senior girl, who went to the washroom, observed her junior crying and asked for the reason. When she replied that her sanitary pad was damaged due to menstrual cycle and she do not know what to do? The senior informed to the class teacher about the agony of the girl. The teacher, instead of providing a sanitary pad to the girl, had left the hapless student for her fate. The mother of the girl, on receiving information, has taken the girl home.  

Not only this girl, most adolescent girls are facing similar problem as they are not aware of the monthly menstrual cycle. After the maturity, the monthly menstrual cycle is irregular due to several issues, including hormones and food habits. Not aware of this, many girl students face tough times as no school keeps sanitary pads in the washroom for emergency times.

Breaking the silence on the menstrual cycle and how to take hygienic steps, both government and private school managements have to take steps to educate the girls on these issues. Though superstars, celebrities and others are openly talking on these issue now, there is no much change in the attitude of the school managements. Surprisingly, lady teachers and women attendants are also not educating and helping the girl students.

The girls who are not having awareness on the monthly health issues, bunking the schools at least three to four days every month. Though the menstrual cycle is a part of the biology subject, a majority of the schools are not conducting awareness camps and hygiene classes to the girl students. “Yes, during our special campaigns on the menstrual cycle, we found many girl students are absenting from the schools on the problem. The schools where girl students studying must kept ready the sanitary napkins at the washrooms are at the attendants. Due to shy and fear, the girls during the periods are not informing the teachers. 

VKL GAYATRI