Menstrual Hygiene Day 2018

Menstrual hygiene? Is it a problem?

The 28th of May marks Menstrual Hygiene Day. Every year, this day aims to bring menstrual hygiene to the forefront of developments in the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) sector. Taboos around menstruation still abound, not only in the developing world, but in the UK as well. Poor menstrual hygiene has been linked to school absenteeism, increased stigma associated with menstrual blood, as well as a host of health issues. Stigma around menstruation and menstrual hygiene is “a violation of several human rights, most importantly of the right to human dignity, but also the right to non-discrimination, equality, bodily integrity, health, privacy and the right to freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment from abuse and violence (WSSCC 2013)”. 

Why is it so important? What effects can it have on a person who menstruates?

Women, girls, and people who menstruate all over the world require access to safe and healthy period products, a safe and private place to use them, and an open dialogue to discuss the issues surrounding menstrual hygiene management (MHM).

Living in period poverty can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to have a safe period. Improvised sanitary products from inadequate materials such as toilet tissue or rags are extremely detrimental to a healthy menstruating vagina. It’s much harder to have a healthy period if you’re not using a product designed for it. Internal devices especially need to be learnt how to be used safely. If left unchanged for too long, bacteria can build up in the vagina which can cause infections and, in the case of tampons, Toxic Shock Syndrome. A high standard of hygiene is required for menstrual cups, during insertion, removal, and cleaning.

Struggling with managing a period, often due to inadequate supplies, can lead to school or work absenteeism. This, for younger girls, can lead to an increased stigma as their period sets them apart from their schoolmates and seriously affect their education. Missing school or work affects the economic potential of both groups and can have wide-reaching impacts over an individual’s lifetime.

Just having access to sanitary products is not enough. The products need to be produced safely so their use does not carry additional risk. In this country, tampon ingredients are unregulated so many brands can contain any number of chemicals. They are often bleached to look cotton-y white, but the chlorine used in this process is certainly not meant to be inserted into the vagina. Sanitary pads, too, contain the same amount of plastic as four plastic bags – which, when worn for a prolonged period, is likely to disrupt the natural bacteria. Awareness of these risks and the importance of changing pads and tampons regularly is a good place to start: natural cotton pads and reusable menstrual cups are, when used hygienically, an even better solution.

The environmental impact of single-use sanitary products can also affect a person’s health. If they are not disposed of safely, these can have an impact on the user’s environment and health. Disposing of sanitary products in bins, rather than flushing them, can clog plumbing and damage septic systems.

What should be done?

What this has been leading up to is the fact that a sanitary infrastructure is crucial to support those with periods. I’m talking about period-friendly bathrooms, access to clean materials and a place to dispose of them if they’re disposable, as well as a willingness to talk about health issues related to periods so problems can be treated without shame. People all over the world have the right to not only access the materials they need but also be armed with the knowledge of how to use them safely, responsibly and without doubt.

What would you do to create a safe sanitary infrastructure? Let us know! @nomoretaboo or on Facebook.

Read about some of the groundbreaking events around the world to mark this day at Washfunders.org and Menstrualhygieneday.org.