World Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed every year on 28 May to create awareness about menstruation, to provide safe and hygienic practices to girls and to burst the bubble of taboos. According to UNFPA, May 28 marks the menstrual cycle of women. As the reproductive cycle lasts 28 days, date 28 is chosen. Similarly, the average period lasts five days, which gives us the fifth month of the day, May. So, to give it a meaning in itself, 28th May is celebrated to mark the transformation that takes place in the female body. While the topic itself is taboo, we cannot deny the importance of educating teenage girls, who go through many changes when they start menstruating.
Dr Mamta Mishra, Director, OBS and Gynecology, Fortis Hospital, talks about the importance of educating young girls about puberty and sexuality. She says, “Puberty and sexuality are sensitive topics and, therefore, it is important for educational programs to address these issues for clearly expressed values. Parents, teachers and the government are alike in providing this education. partners. We must recognize that students are diverse with diverse needs.”
He said that not only the parents, but also the educational institutions and the government play an important role in creating awareness about menstrual hygiene and related issues.
She says, “The curriculum needs to be developed with lesson time limits for specific classes starting from Class V, important facts for teachers and ways to assess students’ learning. It includes Introduction to Puberty, On Puberty Must include physical and mental changes, fertility, ovulation, menstruation, body awareness for both boys and girls, sexual awareness and abstinence. Some classes should be general while some can be taken separately. Parents also only should discuss things that are age appropriate. Giving too much information at wrong age can be harmful. Body parts should be taught with correct names, preferably by diagrams. They should actively participate in school education Government should ensure uniformity in curriculum and social and cultural beliefs should also be taken into account. Online resources should be approved by the government. A helpline number should be provided. Providing accurate information about puberty is the key to a healthy society. is the beginning.”
Dr Vikas Kaushal, Head of Health, Save the Children NGO says, “Puberty is one of the most challenging and important elements of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) education for adolescent girls, especially when a girl child’s body goes through many changes. Pre-puberty is a time that should be approached with a broader agenda of comprehensive SRH education which is not often the case. World The health organization has also recognized the SRH educational needs of adolescent girls as a major priority and the need for information about their health and health-related behaviors among adolescent girls. Currently, there is a paucity of relevant and teen-friendly information that is satisfactory and accurate.”
He shares that mothers play an essential role in the education of teenage girls who are approaching puberty. He adds, “Our mothers are the most important source of information on puberty and related concerns, based on their own experience and limited scientific knowledge on adolescent girls, so there is a great need for appropriately tailored educational approaches for both mothers as well as adolescent girls. There is a need.. Mothers’ education and other dedicated educational services should be used such as school health ambassadors, school health messengers, etc. and education spokespersons should use public media with great moral and cultural sensitivity. Knowledge is not only Puberty should not be limited to the mechanisms of menstruation and natural behaviour, but should help adolescents understand themselves better. There is a need for sincere investment with an emphasis on family-based educational approaches.”
The theme of this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day is ‘Make menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030’. The theme is not just about celebrating the day, but a goal that is to be achieved by 2030. The goal is to create a world where no girl is without easy access to safety supplies and menstrual products. It is also about making menstruation a common topic that can be publicly discussed in a normal voice, not a low voice.
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