Implications of inadequate management of menstrual hygiene

Menstrual hygiene is some practice that allows a woman to maintain a normal menstrual cycle, mismanagement of which can result in various implications. The common causes and what can be done about them will be explored in this blog.

What is meant by menstrual hygiene?

Menstrual hygiene, as stated earlier is some simple practices that allow a woman to have a normal menstrual cycle, these practices involve various procedures like wearing completely dry clothes, keeping the pubic region dry, using multiple feminine hygiene products over the day, avoiding certain foodstuffs, etc. Some tips for maintaining good menstrual hygiene include using any one feminine hygiene product, avoiding using soaps and vaginal hygiene products during the menses, discarding the sanitary napkins properly, changing the sanitary napkin a few times per day, and finally keeping the pubic region dry and clean by washing and drying, etc.

Consequences of inadequate management of menstrual hygiene:

The consequences of improper or inadequate menstrual hygiene involve an increased risk of urinogenital infections, which may be caused by different organisms, like fungal infections, yeast infections, viral infections, and even cancer. These infections are caused due to change in the conditions in the female genitalia like an increase or decrease in the pH, moisture content, etc. These changes may accelerate the growth and development of various micro-organisms, which results in vaginal infections which are usually accompanied and indicated by genital itching, abdominal pain, back pain, pustules in the genitalia, and abnormal genital discharge.

Some common causes for inadequate management of menstrual hygiene

Common causes for inadequate management include a wide range of problems that we need to tackle in this society, beliefs, and superstitions and monetary situations all result in inadequate management of menstrual hygiene for example in the Muslim communities the women are reluctant to use feminine hygiene products during the Eid periods due to their own set of superstitions. A large portion of females in India (about 40%) still don’t have access to the appropriate feminine hygiene products, the cause of this is different across different regions some of which is the inability to afford the appropriate products, belief that these products are unnecessary and last but not the least being unaware about these products. We as a community should work towards eradicating these beliefs and improving the quality of life of women through all the stages in their lifetime.