Be Period +ive...It's World Menstrual Hygiene Day

In many societies around the World, Menstruation the first " BLOOD " combined with an overall culture of silence around the topic remains a Taboo. It limits the ability of women and girls to fully and equally participate in society.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is an Annual awareness day on May 28 to help break the silence and build awareness about the fundamental role that good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) plays in enabling women and girls to reach their full potential.

The challenge is At least 500 Million women and girls globally lack adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management. Inadequate WASH ( WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE) facilities, particularly in public places such as schools, workplaces or health centers, can pose a major risk to women and girls. The lack of separate toilets with doors that can be safely closed or the unavailability of means to dispose of used sanitary pads and No water to wash hands, women, and girls face challenges in maintaining their menstrual hygiene in a private safe and dignified manner.

The year 2017 saw a surge in conversations around menstruation in INDIA. Movies like Phullu and the movie padman brought periods to the big screen while campaigns like the first day of the period leave addressed the elephant in the room with blunt boldness. India is witnessing a change. An acceptance of sorts in conversations around periods like it never has before. And so, we must play our part to keep the converstion alive.

Let's take a look at Menstrual Hygiene. Every woman has her own personal strategy when it comes to maintaining healthy menstrual hygiene. In India, around 355 million women menstruate, but unfortunately, only 12% of them access to sanitary napkins. This is an alarming state but poor menstrual hygiene is not just restricted to those who do not access to proper menstrual-care.

Here's a list of some detrimental menstrual hygiene practices that might be causing you more harm than you expected.

Keeping the pad on for a long duration:

No matter what a brand you use or how super-absorbent it is, you must change your sanitary napkins 4-5 hours frequently. Wetness can lead to skin infections and even cause the pad to tear open which in turn exposes your vagina to harmful chemicals present in conventional pads.

Insertion of unclean Tampon

It is important to check the quality of Tampons that you use. Make sure they are individually sealed and that you wash your hands with soap before inserting a fresh one in. to avoid infections.

Usage of highly absorbent Tampons

Low blood flow and highly absorbent tampons are inversely proportional to each other. They can lead to Toxic Shock Syndrome and can even be life-threatening.

Incorrect wiping post urination or defecation

India is still fighting to build toilets, so wiping your parts after using the loo is still a new concept. While wiping, make sure you go from front to back to keep the bacteria from entering your vagina.

Unprotected sex during Menstruation

STI'S probability is more if you have sex during menses Hepatitis B or the passing of the HIV virus increases if women engage in unprotected sex during menstruation.

Disposal of the Napkins

Make sure you dispose of the napkins in a proper way to avoid infections. As improper disposal may lead to a big risk for people around you. And wash your hands properly after disposing of the napkins.

Douching

How you clean your vagina has a big impact on your health. spraying too much water can, in fact, expose it to bacteria. Vagina has a self mechanism of cleaning let it do its thing and stop interfering.

Unclean hands

unclean hands can cause infections while changing napkins

always wear dry undergarments

change your napkins every 4-5 hours

never skip your bath

wipe your vagina with soft tissue from front to back

wrap your napkins and tampons in a cover before disposing of them

use antiseptic hand wash while changing pads

Don't hesitate to talk about menses even with your roommates