From Taboo To Education: Importance Of Menstrual Health Awareness Among Adolescent Girls in India, Expert Shares 5 Reasons

Empowering girls with comprehensive knowledge and a holistic approach to managing menstrual hygiene is essential for sustainable change. Here is a short guide on how to teach young girls to be more aware.

Parents play a crucial role in promoting menstrual hygiene practices

Adolescent girls to effectively balance school during menstruation through improved menstrual hygiene management practices. Teenage represents a crucial stage of transition from childhood to womanhood in a girl's life womanhood. While menstruation is a normal and healthy part of life for women and girls, in many societies, the experiences continues to be constrained by cultural taboos & discriminatory social norms.

Dr Akanksha Khanduja (MBBS, DGO, DNB), Consultant Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orchid Clinic, Faridabad, Haryana says, "In adolescent girls, the onset of mensuration is the start of a new phase, posing various issues such as harassment, stigma and social exclusion. Better knowledge about menstrual physiology and its management shared with a teenager leads to correct attitude towards it and responsible reproductive health behaviour. Poor menstrual hygiene can pose serious health risks, like reproductive and urinary tract infections which can result in future infertility and birth complications. It also includes privacy, regular cleanliness with soap water and an easy access to facilities for the safe disposal of the materials used for menstrual management."

"India is home to 243 million adolescents, accounting for a quarter of the country’s population. Inadequate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices among adolescent girls (15–19 years) is a public health problem, mainly in low and middle-income countries including India. A study in India found that 1 in every 5 girls drop out of school when they get their period which jeopardizes their education and their health, including their nutrition," adds Ameet Babre, National Program Manager - Health Systems Strengthening, Nutrition International.

Empowering young people with knowledge of menstrual hygiene management can be the difference between a female student being in or out of the classroom, Mr Ameet shares the reasons:

- Girls who remain in school benefit from continued access to essential school-based resources such as mid-day meals and weekly iron and folic acid supplementation to combat anaemia.

- Staying in school is linked to a decrease in early marriage and teenage pregnancy rates globally.

- Parents play a crucial role in promoting menstrual hygiene practices by being educated and informed about menstruation and dispelling myths and misconceptions surrounding it.

- Male teachers and schoolboys should receive training on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) to create a safe and supportive environment for girls.

- Educating young girls about the importance of nutritional diversity, including incorporating iron-rich foods like beetroot and spinach, can help prevent conditions such as anaemia. 

"Though, cultural taboos still prevent proper knowledge from being disseminated, which results in stigma and false information. Providing girls with accurate information has the potential to prevent infections while simultaneously enhancing their academic performance and self-esteem. These benefits underscore the wider societal advantages of placing a high priority on menstrual health education and management," concludes Dr. Gargi khokhar BDS, MIDA,PGDCC.