Importance of Menstrual Health and Hygiene
I don’t relish going through PMS — back pain, stomach pain, period cramps. I think nobody enjoys the menstruation period; however, it is the natural phenomenon of the continuation of generation.
Even in the present-days, Some of the women from remote areas still have been using old clothes, a homemade cotton pad, and other unsafe traditional methods, even when there is the availability of several menstrual hygiene products in the market. Is this because of ignorance or illiteracy on menstrual hygiene management? I wonder how people could jeopardize their health.
Menstrual hygiene is still a closed-door topic in which most people don’t want to talk about. We feel shy and hesitate to discuss what menstruation is and why it happens. Similarly, we avoid talking about menstruation hygiene. I have seen women being awkward and asking if there is any female salesman at the counter while buying sanitary products. And even asks for the newspaper to wrap it so that other people cannot get a sight of it.
Health, education, economics, women’s rights — some of the most pressing issues facing today are directly or indirectly connected to menstrual hygiene and women’s lack of access to basic sanitation. Taking care of your menstrual health is as much as important as taking care of your daily activities. Any type of negligence can lead to a detrimental effect on your physical as well as mental health, so practicing menstrual hygiene is a must.
Here are some reasons why maintaining menstrual hygiene is important:
1) Mitigate the risk of cervical cancer.
Unhygienic handling of menstrual waste like sharing of reusable absorbent pads, not washing of hands after changing sanitary napkins, and lack of hygienic sanitation can increase the risk of developing cervical cancer.
2) Reduce the occurrence of genital rashes.
If sanitary pads are not changed frequently, vaginal skin may get infected with bacteria or fungus resulting in painful rashes. Biodegradable sanitary pads with an all-natural composition are effective in addressing problems like rashes and allergic reactions.
3) Reduce the risk of infection in the urinary tract.
The use of damp and dirty clothes or sanitary products for longer than 3 hours can create an environment to grow and multiply the harmful bacterias. And these bacteria can invade your urinary tract resulting in painful urination. Using sun-dried and clean sanitary towels or hygienic-sanitary pads for periods can avoid complications.
4) Ensure good reproductive health.
Bacteria can invade the mucosal layer of the reproductive tract and cause serious damage to the uterine wall, ovaries, and fallopian tubes, Since bacteria responsible for Reproductive Tract Infection.
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