Undoubtedly, awareness related to menstruation has increased in urban areas, and many women are opting for sanitary pads rather than clothes. Innovations in products are also happening like menstrual cups, discs, etc. On October 14, an awareness program on how women should take care of themselves during menstruation was held at Noble College Of Arts & Science for Women, Virudhunagar district, Tamil Nadu.
Red Ribbon Club and Virudhunagar’s People Path Movement organised this program. In this session, students were explained, that how they should take care of themselves during menstruation. At the end of the session, the girls were also taught how to choose a sanitary napkin. They were taught this with the help of a physical demonstration.
The organisers explained to the girls how the unhygienic cloth can make them prone to the risk of contamination. To explain this, the absorbency of both standard store-bought and organic sanitary napkins was tested. Karthik Raja, the coordinator of People’s Path Movement, Virudhunagar, also shared his views at this event. He explained that due to the low absorbency of ordinary sanitary napkins, women are at a higher risk of infections while using them. This can be avoided if they choose to use the cotton sanitary napkins.
There are a lot of benefits associated with the cotton sanitary pad and that is why they are more in use. According to a report published in the Times of India, when there is excessive heat or humidity, there are higher chances of risk and infections when women are on their periods. The risk can be reduced if the women use cotton sanitary pads. These pads are biodegradable and do not cause rashes on physical movement as well.
In many parts of the country, the taboos associated with menstruation are prevalent. Women are instructed to isolate themselves during periods rather than treating it as a normal phenomenon. This is true, especially for rural and remote areas. Girls in rural areas must be advised to use sanitary pads over cloth during periods.