“Promoting Menstrual Hygienic Practices among School Going Girl Children by Creating awareness and distributing Cloth Napkin at the Government Schools”

Sanitary waste disposal has become an increasing problem in India. One of the main issues in menstrual hygiene practices in India is a ‘culture of silence’ owing to the long-standing taboo attached to menstruation and menstrual hygiene practices in India. Women and adolescent girls are often hesitant to broach these topics even amongst their closest kith and kin. This stigma has contributed to a dearth of awareness amongst females in both urban and rural communities as to the correct menstrual hygiene practices.

In our new age computer world, newer things keep replacing the old. In rural villages, the life is quite different from urban areas as far as hygiene and sanitation practices are concerned. During the time of menstruation, the adolescent girls usually do not attend school because of economic constraints and lack of knowledge on using sanitary napkins properly. This negatively impacts their education.

Sanitary napkins promote positive reproductive health by preventing rashes and infections and by providing a feeling of complete dryness at an affordable price in the school setting through installing sanitary napkin dispensing machines. Teachers, workers and girls in age category of 14-50 yrs, belonging to lower middle class and living in rural and semi-urban areas will benefit much from napkin using practice. The sanitary napkins lead to infection because these pads are made up of plastic materials. The chemical gel used in these pads can lead to cervical cancer .

A woman uses nearly 5000 to 6000 napkins in her life time and when dioxin accumulates in the body, it can lead to serious health risks and diseases such as immune system damage, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cancer and infertility.

Goal : "Prevention of Diseases : Promotion of Health"

IUCT is trying to create awareness by conducting reproductive health education classes about personal hygiene and reproductive health issues. Because of lack of factual information, many women continue to practice cultural traditions related to menstruation, such as practices of seclusion at home, refraining from daily household tasks and prayer and remain absent from work. These practices reflect the perception of menstrual blood loss as an ‘impure’ state and not as a normal human physiological phenomenon. Consequentially, the constraints placed by these social and cultural norms not only have an adverse impact on the health of people, but also affect their livelihood opportunities. Women struggle to sustain continuous employment and the education of adolescent girls also gets disrupted due to periodic menstruation related absences.

IUCT is trying to spread awareness about menstrual health amongst the girls studying in government schools in and around Avadi and Poonamallee block. Through this awareness programme, IUCT aims to provide counselling to the children and distribute quality cloth pads amongst girl children.

* Nearly 25,000 shall be educated about hygiene, sanitation and health issues.

* Nearly 100 government schools would benefit from this awareness program in Thiruvallur and Chennai districts.

* Reusable sanitary napkin made from cloth would be promoted as they are economical in comparison to conventional napkins.

* Washable cloth pads can be used for 2 years and are environment friendly.

* Reusable cloth napkins protect from reproductive health issues and cancer.

* There would be a reduction in waste generation.

* Cloth pads can easily be cleaned in a washing machine.

* Students are going regularly to the school instead of drop or leave in the cycling period.

* Reduce the health issues like eye problems, respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal ailments, skin infections and allergies.

* Cases of suicide shall reduce amongst girl children during menstrual cycling period.