Menstrual Hygiene Day
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 28 2022:
The Directorate of Health Services, Manipur observed World Menstrual Hygiene Day at Ibotonsana Girls' Higher Secondary School, Uripok today.
A short procession was also taken out as a part of the programme held under the theme "Making menstruation a normal fact of life," and sanitary napkins were distributed to the adolescent girls.
At the function, Health Director Dr K Rajo said that menstrual hygiene is not a disease but a normal physiological phenomenon which is of considerable importance to women and adolescent girls.
Saying that there are many period related taboos such as menstruation impacts athletic performance, Dr K Rajo continued that all this misinformation has nothing to do with the menstruation cycle.
Continuing that there is no harm in extracting even 250 ml of blood from "our body," Dr Rajo added that blood cells are regularly produced by bone marrow.
The senior doctor, however, advised the women and adolescent girls to be very hygienic especially during periods to prevent infertility and birth complications.
Maintaining that women used old clothes in the past to check the blood from seeping out, Dr Rajo stated that the old practise is not advisable as it exposes women and adolescent girls to certain ailments.
He informed that the Government has also started providing sanitary napkins.
Saying that lack of access to menstrual hygiene is also detrimental to the society as a whole as it can lead to population shrinkage, he urged all concerned to use high quality sanitary napkins and dispose of the same properly after using it.
Dr Rajo said that people can also seek doctor's advice on menstrual hygiene through eSanjeevani from the comfort of home.
Additional Director of Public Health, Dr Tomcha Khuman, Additional Director G/C, Directorate of Education (S), G Anita Devi, Additional Director MC, Dr Lalthari Hmar, MES, ZEO Zone-I, Sucheta Khumukcham and Principal of Ibotonsana Girls' Higher Secondary School, N Prempyari Devi also attended the programme.