The Importance of Menstrual Health & Hygiene

What is menstrual health?

Menstrual health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Often people directly associate menstrual health to one’s menstrual cycle. While most women and girls experience menstrual cycles, it also can be associated with menstrual health for all individuals who experience a menstrual cycle, regardless of their gender. 

 

What is menstrual hygiene?

Menstrual hygiene is the practice of keeping your body clean during menstruation which can prevent a person from infection in their reproductive and urinary tract. It refers to the proper sanitary steps one must take while they are on their period to ensure their health is never compromised due to lack of hygiene and provides access to the best hygiene-based routine.

 

Why is menstrual health & hygiene important?

Hygiene-related practices of women during menstruation are incredibly important, as they may increase vulnerability to infections that could be dangerous. Poor menstrual hygiene is one of the biggest reasons for the high prevalence of Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs) in India and contributes significantly to female morbidity. This is due to a lack of knowledge regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene leading to poor attitude and practice.

Though menstruation is a normal physiological process, it is still surrounded with social taboos, supernatural beliefs, misconceptions, and malpractices, which is very challenging for girls in developing countries. Due to these social stigmatic, cultural, and religious restrictions, menstrual practices are regarded as big limitation for menstrual hygiene management. Menstrual hygiene is very important; however it is still a neglected area of concern in many parts of the world. Despite the fact that menstruation is a normal physiological process in females, it is not easy for every adolescent girl to maintain good hygiene. Due to the lack of prior information about menstruation, girls experience different feelings such as fear, embarrassment, and guiltiness during their vaginal bleeding. Adolescent girls particularly in developing countries still lack information about good menstrual hygiene practices.*

Here are 5 easy tips for a menstrual hygiene:

Some common consequences of neglecting menstrual health & hygiene are:

• Irritation of the skin that can swell turns red, and at times becomes sore with blisters.
• The introduction of bacteria into the urethra may cause urinary tract infections (UTIs). It can be fatal as it could damage the kidneys if left untreated.
• Alteration of the pH of vaginal flora. This can lead to a higher possibility of bacterial vaginosis and impacts the body negatively when a woman is trying to conceive.

We have always emphasized the importance of menstrual hygiene in a woman’s life and the potential risks of poor menstrual hygiene, maintaining your menstrual health & hygiene routines are an essential part of any woman’s life. Make sure that your health is never compromised during your vulnerable time of the month.