Study finds menstruation taboos in urban India too

If you thought the taboo surrounding menstruation — a normal physiological process in women — is confined only to the country’s rural parts, then think again. A study conducted by a Delhi University College has found that in the national capital and the NCR region, at least 30 per cent of the girls that were surveyed had missed classes during periods while around 15 per cent still feel that it makes them unclean/impure.

Indicating that menstruation remains a deep-rooted stigma in the patriarchal society like ours, the study found that families of 57 per cent girls restricted them to pray during menstruation, considering it unhygienic. “This left the young women feel isolated from the family and society during menstruation,” said the study which has been published in  a recent edition of International Journal of Health Sciences and Research. 

The results of the study indicated that every month girls have to spend approximately one week in managing menstruation. “Absenteeism due to menstruation was reported among 28.33 per cent even though the girls were aware that menstruation is a normal physiological process.” However, the situation is changing. At least, 70.53 percent young women surveyed said that they don’t want to follow religious restrictions imposed by family members due to menstruation.

Further, discussion about menstruation with males is also a proscription which exists in society. For instance, in Delhi-NCR, 53.59 per cent girls did not discuss menstrual problems with their male friends as against 44.46 who discussed, as per the study.

At least 46.82 per cent reported restriction on the food during menstruation, said the study conducted by Meena Yadav from Maitreyi College in her study, ‘Menstrual Cycle and the Misconceptions Associated with it Among Young Women in the NCR-Delhi.’

This puts an unwanted stress on the girls for the duration of the menstrual cycle. The main reason of this stress is the prevalent misconception that women become impure when they are menstruating, as per the study.

This again confirmed that open discussion about menstruation or problems associated with it is still a taboo in India. Various food items were included in the list of restricted food during menstruation like spicy/pickles, cold food items, sour foods, rice and coffee etc, said the study.