Borenya Hazarika
INTRODUCTION: MENSTRUATION
In this article we are about the answer the above question and ask many more related questions. Some people might scroll down thinking it is a “girl’s topic”. NO! IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THOSE WHO BLEED… it is an issue, a topic about the whole society, of which we all are members. Hence, we all need to know about menstruation.
We need to get rid of this taboo and stigma around this topic. For this we need to ask certain questions to ourselves- “why do we feel ashamed to say the words periods, pads, tampons, menstruation, etc. out loud?” ; “why do we feel uncomfortable to discuss or talk about menstruation with family members or with people of the opposite sex?” ; “why do we hide our sanitary napkins and fear that someone might see us carrying that?”. There are many more such questions that we need to reflect upon.
WHAT IS MENSTRUATION?
Before going farther into the topic, I would like to give brief information about menstruation. Menstruation is a monthly cycle where the unfertilized egg cell along with the uterus lining and blood comes out of the vagina. It lasts for about 2 -8 days depending on the flow of the individual. It starts in the adolescence period (usually starting from 13 years) and might vary from one individual to another. It usually stops when the reproductive period of the person is over, that is, around 60 years.
Again, while reading the last paragraph some people might be feeling a bit awkward to read the word vagina. Here, we do realize the importance of sex education. Emphasis of topics like this is significant to these reasons, otherwise the painful voices have no idea about what to do or where to ask help.
MENSTRUATION IN TRIBAL AREAS
Now that we have a brief knowledge about what menstruation is, let us go deeper into certain topics. First we look at menstruation in areas which are not that developed or under-developed. One good thing about the tribal areas is that they are much more eco friendly then we are. They give a lot of importance to women.
They even worship females and nature. But as they are backward compared to urban areas and cities, they lack in education and infrastructure and facilities. These disadvantages affect those who bleed every month. They do not have proper access to sanitation and female hygiene products. They are even subjected to certain norms of the society which hugely affect them.
For example, when the menstruation cycle starts every month, the women (even small teen age girls) are not allowed to stay in the house. They are made to stay in huts made of mud and straw outside the village. It is believed that if a women stays in the house it might kill others in the village also! Moreover menstruation by some local people is believed to be a disease which happens to women every month!
YES… THINGS LIKE THIS DO EXIST! And it is hard for people like us living in metropolitan cities to accept this harsh truth.
ACCESS TO FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS
Secondly, we need to acknowledge the fact that on side of the story we are fighting to make things like sanitary pads a normal topic to discuss about so that we do not have to hide it like it is illegal or feel ashamed to talk about it; but on the other side of the story which we have not realized yet is that, there are thousands of people out there in slums, remote areas or rural areas where they do not have any access to these products.
It is not just a matter of concern to the people of that area or to sociologists or psychologists. People need to look into these as it is related to personal hygiene and also affects the health other people living there. In areas where there is no access to feminine hygiene products, people use dirty little pieces of clothes, or dry grass leaves. These are not at all healthy for the reproductive health of the individual and might even cause death.
STEREOTYPES ATTACHED TO MENSTRUATION
As we are members of a society, we are bound to be affected by the notions of the society. Every society has its own set of unwritten rules and regulations which we call it as norms. These norms also consists of expectations from the citizens along with the rules.
People believe that a menstruating woman should not go inside a temple or kitchen. They are said to be dirty and so are not allowed. But certain people say that a woman is not as fit during her menstruation and hence should not do the work. Women in the earlier days had a few jobs to do, looking after the family, cooking and fetching water.
Kitchen was not as easy as it is now for us with the advent of inventions and new technologies. Everything was done manually and it was a difficult task. Kitchen then was like a gym… people spent hours in cooking a meal.
Although not carrying load and other related things has some scientific basis, not being allowed to touch pickles during menstruation is a superstition. It is believed that if a woman touches pickles during her menstrual cycle, the pickles will turn out to be bad. I mean… I have touched and ate pickles during my periods and none of this ever happened!
HEALTH ISSUES RELATED TO MENSTRUATION
Period pain is something we all have heard about. Cramps, back pain, headaches, etc. make it even more difficult to get through these tough days. Period pain that is why is thought to be normal and to certain extend it is… but there are medical conditions where the person experiences extreme pain and heavy flow of blood, which is not normal. It is called dysmenorrhea.
A lot of women die this way because they do not know about these diseases or symptoms. Forget about knowing diseases, people in under-developed areas do not even know about their bodies properly or how it works. This largely affects their bodies and health. It is very important to use clean sanitary products. Otherwise it might lead to severe problems like vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infection, etc.
Even while using a clean pad we need to know when to change it. It is said that one pad should not be worn for more than 5-6 hours as bacteria might form there and affect the reproductive tract.
CONCLUSION
Here I would like to conclude that menstruation is an important social and health issue which needs to draw more attention. Due to menstrual or hygienic purposes many girls in rural areas drop out from their schools, which is a serious matter of concern. We need to normalize visiting a gynecologist for regular check-ups. We need a more civilized society where we do not have to carry menstrual products wrapped in black bags. We need to understand that all these physiological and societal factors do affect the mental health of women. We prohibit them from doing certain things which have no scientific basis. We hope for a better menstrual environment.
