HYGIENE & 
PERSONAL CARE

Ensuring proper hygiene during menses, and eating right is the key to ease the pain you go through. 
Have healthy and happy periods with these hygiene tips.

MENSTRUATION

Menstruation remains a taboo in many parts of the world even today despite efforts to erase the stigma associated with periods. Menstruation is a healthy biological process of women and girls’ reproductive cycle, yet, culturally, it is still considered to be dirty and impure in various parts of India. This makes menstruating girls and women often feel ashamed and embarrassed to talk about, which can negatively affect their health. To break the silence around periods and raise awareness of the importance for women and girls to hygienically manage their menstruation, every year, May 28 is celebrated as World Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD) across the globe.

With menstrual hygiene management continues to be one of society’s greatest stigmas, only a few women in India have access to proper facilities to ensure hygiene, whereas the majority of them, especially those in the rural areas, remain unaware of the scientific knowledge of periods and hygienic health practices and still resort to reusable unhygienic cloth during periods. 

Understanding how the process works and taking general measures during menstruation are extremely important. Any concern in your cycle should be consulted with a doctor. 
Here are some basic hygiene measures every girl and woman should take during menstruation:

  • Take a shower or bath at least once a day.
  • Change pads or tampons regularly to prevent infections - it is advisable to change a sanitary pad once every six hours, for a tampon, it is every two hours. 
  • Opt for good sanitary pads - women with sensitive skin may avoid sanitary pads with plastic lining, as they can cause rashes, itchiness, and boils when rubbing against the skin.
  • Use clean underwear and change it everyday.
  • Do not use soaps or vaginal hygiene products to wash the genital area. Instead, clean the vaginal area using warm water regularly, after each use of toilet and even after urination. Washing the vagina with an intimate wash can kill the good bacteria making way for infections.
  • Always pat the vaginal area dry after every wash, else it might cause irritation. Also, keep the area between the legs dry. Use antiseptic powder to help keep the area dry - preferably before wearing the pad and after washing the vagina.
  • Always wash or wipe the genitals from front to back. This is important because cleaning in the opposite direction can make way for bacteria from the anus to the vagina and urethral opening, leading to infection.
  • Make sure that you wash your hands with warm water and soap after changing your pad/tampon/menstrual cup.
  • Never flush used sanitary pad and tampons down the toilet as they can clog plumbing and cause the toilet to overflow. Discard them properly and throw them in the dustbin to prevent the spread of infections.
  • Wear comfortable, loose clothing, rather than jeans or tight-fitting during periods. This will ensure air flow around the sensitive areas as well as prevent sweating to a large extent.
Why Menstrual Cramps Happen?

It’s common to feel discomfort around your abdomen, lower back, and thighs when you’re menstruating.

During your period, the muscles of your womb contract and relax to help shed built-up lining. Sometimes you’ll experience cramps, which are your muscles at work. Some women and girls may experience nausea, vomiting, headaches, or diarrhea as well. 

Doctors aren’t sure why some women experience painful menstruation and others don’t. But some factors that are associated with more intense pain include:
• having a heavy blood flow
• having your first child
• being under the age of 20, or just starting your period
• having an overproduction of or sensitivity to prostaglandins, a hormone that influences your womb

Other factors include growths in your womb, endometriosis (abnormal uterine tissue growth), and use of birth control.

For mild to temporary cramps, some home remedies can help provide relief. Read on for tips on getting fast relief and learn how to potentially lessen the pain during your next cycle. 

When To See A Doctor?

You should contact your doctor if you have severe pain and very heavy bleeding. See a doctor if:
• the pain consistently prevents you from doing day-to-day activities
• the pain worsens, or bleeding gets heavier, over time
• you’re over 25 and severe cramps are a new development
• OTC medication doesn’t work

For severe cases, the best way to get treatment is for a doctor to diagnose the cause of your menstrual pain. If you’re interested in learning more ways to relieve painful menstruation, check out this article on pain relief. 

Reasons Why It Is Important To Maintain Good Hygiene During Periods

Reduced Risk of Urinary Tract Infections

Using damp and dirty menstrual clothes or using a sanitary napkin for longer than 4 hours can act as a perfect environment for growth and multiplication of harmful bacteria and yeasts. Microbes like Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, E.coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa grow easily in the humid environment provided by prolonged use of unhygienic absorbents or sanitary napkins.

These bacteria can invade your urinary tract including urethra and urinary bladder, resulting in painful urination, lower abdominal pain, back pain, and fever. These complications can be easily avoided by using sun-dried and clean sanitary towels or hygienic sanitary napkins for periods. Cleaning external genitalia with clean water and gentle soap along with a frequent change of sanitary napkins can prevent 97% of such infections. 

Reduced Incidents of Rashes in Genitals

Abrasion, allergy and prolonged wetness can injure the external genitalia and cause rashes during menstruation.
If sanitary pads are not changed frequently, vaginal skin may get infected with bacteria or fungus resulting in painful rashes.

Commercially available sanitary napkins are composed of plastics and SAP which is derived from crude oil. These products have greater potential to cause damage to your health, and hence they need to be changed as often as possible to prevent allergies and rashes.

Biodegradable sanitary napkins with all natural composition are effective in addressing problems like rashes and allergic reactions. They do not alter the microenvironment of the vagina by maintaining the pH of the region. 

Ensuring Good Reproductive Health

Unhygienic absorbents or improper hygiene during periods can result in Reproductive Tract Infection. RTIs can result in reproductive health morbidities since bacteria responsible for these infections can invade the mucosal layer of the reproductive tract and cause serious damage to uterine wall, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Vaginitis and abnormal vaginal discharge are preliminary symptoms of severe RTI.

Majority of women who used unhygienic methods to collect menstrual blood in India have greater chances to suffer from RTI and vaginal discharge. Awareness and access to affordable sanitary napkins for periods can prevent reproductive complications due to RTI. 

Minimizing Risk of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is cancer of the opening of the uterus which is caused by Human Papilloma Virus. This virus is transmitted sexually, and unhygienic handling of menstrual waste can spread the infection easily.

Sharing of reusable absorbent pads, not washing of hands after changing sanitary napkins and lack of hygienic sanitation are some causes that can increase the risk of developing cervical cancer; although several other reasons are also responsible. 

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