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India Moves Towards Menstrual Hygiene: Subsidized Sanitary Napkins for Rural Adolescent Girls—Issues and Challenges

Maternal and Child Health Journal volume 16, pages 767–774 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

The onset of menstruation is one of the most important physiological changes occurring among girls during the adolescent years. Menstruation heralds the onset of physiological maturity in girls. It becomes the part and parcel of their lives until menopause. Apart from personal importance, this phenomenon also has social significance. In India, menstruation is surrounded by myths and misconceptions with a long list of “do’s” and “don’ts” for women. Hygiene-related practices of women during menstruation are of considerable importance, as it may increase vulnerability to Reproductive Tract Infections (RTI’s). Poor menstrual hygiene is one of the major reasons for the high prevalence of RTIs in the country and contributes significantly to female morbidity. Most of the adolescent girls in villages use rags and old clothes during menstruation, increasing susceptibility to RTI’s. Adolescents constitute one-fifths of India’s population and yet their sexual health needs remain largely unaddressed in the national welfare programs. Poor menstrual hygiene in developing countries has been an insufficiently acknowledged problem. In June 2010, the Government of India proposed a new scheme towards menstrual hygiene by a provision of subsidized sanitary napkins to rural adolescent girls. But there are various other issues like awareness, availability and quality of napkins, regular supply, privacy, water supply, disposal of napkins, reproductive health education and family support which needs simultaneous attention for promotion of menstrual hygiene. The current article looks at the issue of menstrual hygiene not only from the health point of view, but also considers social and human rights values attached to it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Medicine, VCSG Government Medical Sciences and Research Institute, Srinagar-Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Uttrakhand, India

    Rajesh Garg

  2. Uttrakhand Dental Clinic, Srinagar-Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Uttrakhand, India

    Shobha Goyal

  3. Department of Community Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry, India

    Sanjeev Gupta

  4. H.No.-1000, Sector-19, Part-2, H.U.D.A. Colony, Kaithal, Haryana, 136027, India

    Rajesh Garg

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  1. Rajesh Garg
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  2. Shobha Goyal
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  3. Sanjeev Gupta
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Correspondence to Rajesh Garg.

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Garg, R., Goyal, S. & Gupta, S. India Moves Towards Menstrual Hygiene: Subsidized Sanitary Napkins for Rural Adolescent Girls—Issues and Challenges. Matern Child Health J 16, 767–774 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0798-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-011-0798-5

Keywords

  • Menstruation
  • Menstrual hygiene
  • Subsidized sanitary napkins
  • Reproductive tract infections
  • Reproductive health education
  • Rural adolescent girls
  • Water
  • Myths and misconception in menstruation