Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021: Know About Common Myths Along With Reasons To Invest In Awareness

The day is observed to break the silence, raises awareness and changes negative social norms around Menstrual Hygiene and encourage decision-makers to increase the political priority and catalyse action at global, national and local levels.

Representative Photo: Getty Images

New Delhi: Globally, May 28^th is marked as the Menstrual Hygiene Day every year. Menstrual hygiene remains one of the most taboo topics undermining the health conditions of millions of women and girls who are already reeling under the pandemic due to lack of resources and rising poverty.

It has impacted the way people manage their menstruation health. It is the poorest sections of the society that remains the most affected in accessing menstrual hygiene products during the pandemic.

''Menstrual health is a human right. Yet, menstruation can result in discrimination, stigma, and exclusion against women and girls, the world body highlighted through a tweet.

What’s the theme of Menstrual Hygiene day 2021?

This year's theme is "Action and Investment in Menstrual Hygiene and Health. The day is observed to break the silence, raise awareness and change negative social norms around Menstrual Hygiene and encourage decision-makers to increase the political priority and catalyse action at global, national, and local levels.

Recently, countries have made sanitary supplies free or tax-free to help fight period poverty. New Zealand, France, and Namibia are the latest countries to announce such initiatives after Scotland became the first country to provide period products free to anyone who needed them last fall.  

Why Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed on May 28?

It is because menstrual cycles average 28 days in length and women menstruate an average of five days monthly. It is celebrated because May is the fifth month of the year.

The concept of menstruation is still stigmatized in many parts of the world even today. ''The need of the hour is more action and investment in menstrual health and hygiene now'', according to the menstrualhygieneday.org and ''a world without period poverty and stigma is possible. But to achieve our joint goal by 2030, we cannot wait for the Covid-19 pandemic to end. We need to step up action and investment in menstrual health and hygiene.''

Here's why it's important to break the popular myths around menstruation

"Menstruation is dirty or dangerous"

Many communities believed that the mere presence of menstruating women could cause harm to plants, food and livestock. In the 1930s, Western scientists hypothesized that menstruating women’s bodies produced “menotoxins,” a kind of poison. 

"Certain foods are off-limits to menstruating women and girls"
Many communities believe menstruating women and girls cannot eat certain foods, such as sour or cold foods, or those prone to spoilage.

"Menstruation indicates readiness for marriage and sex"

In many places around the world, a girl’s first period, called menarche, is believed to be a sign that she is ready for marriage, sexual activity and childbirth. This leaves girls vulnerable to a host of abuses, including child marriage, sexual violence or coercion, and early pregnancy.

 All women are moody when they menstruate
The menstrual cycle is driven by hormonal changes. These have different effects on different people. In some women, moodiness is a side-effect of these hormonal changes. Other women do not experience mood changes.