In 2013 a Germany-based NGO, “WASH UNITED” initiated World Menstrual Hygiene Day to promote menstrual hygiene management and also to educate people on lifestyles that could protect them from contracting infections or diseases.
Menstrual hygiene is one of the major global health concerns. Among women poor hygiene can be fuelled lifestyles, taboos and stigma, limited access to hygienic menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure.
According to UNICEF, monthly 1.8 women and girls menstruate. The figure also includes non – binary persons that are unable to manage their menstrual cycle in a dignified and healthy way.
The UNICEF’s Global Leader of Menstrual Health and Hygiene activities primarily supports governments in building national strategies across sectors that account for menstrual health hygiene and to reinforce gender equality.
In Nigeria, menstrual hygiene is a major challenge with many women and girls suffering from menstrual disorder.
Experts say menstrual disorder can be caused by a variety of factors including sexually transmitted disease (STD), cancer, clothing disorder and hormonal imbalances.
Other factors include uterine fibroid coupled with greater frequency of sexual intercourse and larger numbers of sex partners.
Although some of these factors are natural others as a result of ignorance as many women and girls are not fully educated on the implications of health risks danger posed by poor menstrual hygiene.
Experts are concerned that menstrual hygiene is not getting the required attention it deserves.
The Team Lead, Gender Equality for Development (GED), Mrs Funmi Adekoya-Ojo, says good hygiene would go a long way in protecting women and girls against some infections and diseases especially during menstrual cycles.
According to her, there is the need for those menstruating to use clean sanitary pads, change the sanitary between 4 to 7 times daily.
“They need to take their bath often during menstruation to prevent any infections that can affect their reproductive organs’’, she said.
Adekoya-Ojo, who is also a fellow of Dataphyte Mainstreaming Cohorts 2 , further said it is `violence` to stigmatised or ostracised women and girls when they menstruate as it is done by some culture and religion.
“It is violence to stigmatise or ostracised women and girls when they menstruate as it is done by some culture and religion.
“Also, it is part of God’s creation for women and girls to menstruate so they should not be treated with hatred but love and care especially for those who have cramps or pains during menstruation,” she said.
She urged well-coordinated efforts by relevant institutions, to where necessary, provide clean toilets and water for female students and women.
The gender advocate also said female students living with their grandparents and guardians need to be educated on menstrual hygiene.
According to her, gender inequality, discrimination, social norms, cultural taboo and poverty and lack of basic services like toilets and sanitary products can cause menstrual health disorder.
She said there were far reaching consequences of restriction of movement among women and girls during menstruation cycle.
“It affects attendance in schools and participation in community lifestyle; and it compromises their safety causing additional stress and anxiety “, Adekoya-Ojo said.
Dr Abigail Mkperedem, a health sociologist, urges that sanitary pads be made available free of charge for women and girls
Dr Abigail Mkperedem Health Sociologist /Cardiopulmunary Resuscitation expert
She said this would ensure that those who are unable to access the pads due to financial reasons were able to have them.
According to Mkperedem who is also Cardiopulmunary Resuscitation expert, the cost of pads had continued to rise, thereby making it difficult for many young women and girls to afford them.
According to her, this pushes them to improvise other non-hygienic options such as use of clothing materials, tissue papers to meet their menstrual needs.
According to her, these individuals find it difficult to change their pads 4 to 7 times daily as recommended by experts.
“I grow up seeing women use rags, cloths, tissue papers as menstrual pads. Fortunately for me, I met someone who was even a male and he taught me menstrual hygiene.
“I make a clarion call to our males, brothers, fathers and uncles to take the menstrual health of their wives, female children , sisters as their responsibilities instead of discriminating against them“, she said.
“One pad costs between N 1600 and N1800 and in rural communities where most women and girls live, many of them cannot even afford N1000 in a day leaving them with a whole lot of issues health wise.
“We can see most of them coming out with diverse health problems due to lack of menstrual hygiene,” Mkperedem said.
According to her, even those with sanitary towels end up using one towel for 24 hours. This is unhygienic because once the blood the drops dries, it becomes toxic and should not re-enter the body system.
“I want to say that females are meant to change their pads every four hours depending on their flows as best practice.
“There have been complains about changing towels because it costs about N5000 plus if the towel is changed every five day and this is a lot of money for many women“, she said.
She advised that it is important for menstruating ladies to change their pads every four hours within 24 hours for five days to prevent infections and diseases and other sexual health disorders.
Mkperedem, therefore, advised women to do away with unhygienic lifestyles that could result to menstrual changes and infection.
