It’s normal, Period.

Menstrual hygiene: through the lens of IITB students

Every year, May 28 is celebrated as World Menstrual Hygiene Day to promote healthy and hygienic menstrual practices globally. The date has special significance as a typical menstrual cycle is 28 days long, and the period lasts for five days on average. Menstrual hygiene is crucial to health and well-being, directly impacting nearly half of the world’s population. Despite being an indispensable part of everyday life, it still remains a topic often shrouded in silence and stigma, mirroring how menstrual hygiene products are often concealed in black polythenes. 

Poor menstrual hygiene is often the result of a mix of factors, including limited education, persistent taboos, and poverty. Many people also struggle because they don’t have access to proper sanitary facilities, including clean toilets and water supply. These problems harm the education, health, and social status of women and girls worldwide. In the light of this Menstrual Hygiene Day, we at Insight bring forth this essential aspect of health and well-being that often goes unspoken. To gauge the awareness among the IITB populace, we conducted a survey that looked into common menstrual hygiene practices, preferences, and awareness levels within the campus community.

The article presents various menstrual hygiene practices and insights from the survey.

Menstrual Hygiene: Survey Insights

The survey included different sections for respondents who menstruate or have a menstrual history and those who do not. Out of a total of 412 responses, 245 (59.5%) indicated that they menstruate and 167 (40.5%) indicated that they don’t. Below are the insights from respondents who menstruate. The survey results from the other sections are described later.

The survey found that an overwhelming 94.2% of the menstruating respondents used sanitary pads. This common practice might arise from the product’s accessibility and simplicity in its usage.

 Here is the list of products most widely used by women for menstruation, along with their advantages and disadvantages:

Product/Factors	Sanitary Pads (Disposable)	Tampons	Menstrual Cup & Menstrual Disc	Cloth Pads	Period-Underwear
Availability	Widely available in shops and vending machines	Moderately available	Not widely available	Not widely available	Not widely available
Comfort	High: Available in various sizes and shapes to ensure comfort for every individual.	Medium: Convenient for physical activities, though insertion can be tricky for some individuals.	Varies: High capacity and comfort once accustomed , but initial insertion and removal can be challenging.	Moderate: Soft and chemical-free. but require frequent washing and drying	High: Generally comfortable with a variety of sizes and absorbencies
Environmental Impact	Non-biodegradable; contribute significantly to landfill waste.	Non-biodegradable, contribute significantly to landfill waste.	Reusable for years, significantly reducing waste.	Reusable and washable, leading to much lower waste	Reusable and machine- washable, reducing disposable waste.
Cost	Regular purchases can be expensive over time	Medium (Ongoing expense)	Low (Initial high cost. long-term savings)	Low (Initial high cost. savings)	Low (Initial high cost long-term savings

You can consider this table to choose which product works best for you.

These are the factors the respondents consider before choosing their menstrual hygiene products: 

When we asked people if they were aware of the health and environmental effects of the products they use, more than 50% responded affirmatively.

(1- Not Aware, 5 – Fully Aware)

However, despite this awareness, the majority of menstruating individuals still use sanitary pads, which end up being sent to landfills more often than not. There may be many reasons for this preference, including comfort and availability of the product or a lack of sustainable options.  

In our institute, most products apart from sanitary pads are not readily available for purchase to a majority of the menstruating population.  

Here is how accessible various products are to the Institute’s menstruating population:

Most respondents found sanitary pads fairly accessible, whereas other menstrual hygiene products were found to be inaccessible to some degree.

A notable 67% of respondents expressed willingness to transition to more eco-friendly options like menstrual cups, which can be reused for up to 10 years, significantly reducing waste compared to disposable products. 

Efforts have been put in by the Hostel Affairs Council to make the institute more period-friendly. To make sanitary pads more accessible, pad dispensers have been installed in places in the hostels and the washrooms of common areas like LHC. Yet, despite the high usage of sanitary pads, the survey revealed that 92.7% of respondents have never used the pad vending machines.

For the ones who did use them, the following were the responses received about the machines’ ease of use, which shows more than 50% of users found it rather difficult to use.

(1- Not Easy, 5 – Very Easy)

When asked why people didn’t use the pad dispensing machine, they cited the following reasons:

In addition to the above reasons, many people also mentioned that the product quality was subpar, and the fact that the machine only accepted cash discouraged them from using it, although the GSHA clarified that that’s not the case, and the machines accepted UPI as well. Some weren’t even able to find the vending machines in the first place. 

Most people who tried using the machine faced issues with its proper working:

We brought this issue up with the current General Secretary of Hostel Affairs, to which he said, “Currently trial phase is going on for the machines that’s why we didn’t even send any awareness mails or something regarding this just to have some sample data as in how this is performing, soon we will plan on implementing it on full scale with proper maintenance.” 

Right from mood swings during PMS to excruciatingly painful cramps, menstruation comes with its fair share of issues. Every menstruating person faces them to varying degrees. Almost 60% of respondents agreed that menstrual symptoms affected their ability to attend classes. 94.4% of respondents answered that they have not received pink slips for menstrual cramps.

(1- Never, 5 – Always)

However, only 66.5% think that pink slips need to be given out in case of unbearable symptoms. We reached out to the CMO to inquire about whether the hospital follows any policy when it comes to issuing pink slips for menstrual cramps, but we have yet to receive a response at the time of publishing this article. 

Additionally, we evaluated the familiarity of non-menstruating individuals with the topic of menstrual hygiene. On a scale of 1 to 5, most of the respondents rated their familiarity a 3.34 on average, suggesting a reasonable understanding, while a smaller proportion rated themselves at the extremes of the scale. These findings indicate that while there is a baseline awareness, there is a significant opportunity to enhance education and familiarity regarding menstrual health.

(1 – Not Familiar, 5 – Very Familiar)

When asked where most non-menstruating individuals learn about menstruation, most respondents cited the internet as a major source (63.3%), along with educational programs (52.4%). This implies the importance of accurate and reliable information online and extending curricula to include comprehensive menstrual health education for people of all genders. A notable percentage of non-menstruating people learning from female friends (51.8%) and family (24.7%) highlights the value of open and supportive discussions in informal settings. Encouraging such conversations can foster a more supportive and more informed environment.

When asked if formal education about menstruation is necessary for men, an overwhelming 94% of the non-menstruating respondents believe that it is essential, displaying a strong consensus on the importance of inclusive and comprehensive menstrual education for everyone, regardless of gender, to foster better understanding and support within the community.

It used to be considered taboo to mention outright whether someone was on their period, resulting in the invention of various euphemisms for it. The fact that more than 50% of females and 40% of males are comfortable discussing periods indicates the growing acceptance when it comes to having an open conversation about menstruation-related topics. However, there seems to still be a substantial scope for improvement which can be achieved through proper education and dialogue.

(Question for respondents who menstruate/have a history of menstruation) :

(1- Not Comfortable, 5 – Very Comfortable)

(Question for respondents who don’t have a history of menstruation) :

(1- Not Comfortable, 5 – Very Comfortable)

In conclusion, it is vital to improve accessibility to menstrual hygiene products and facilities, ensuring they are user-friendly and well-maintained. Thorough education not just for individuals who menstruate but for everyone on menstrual health and safe hygiene practices can help people make better decisions regarding their well-being, manage menstrual hygiene more effectively, and help sustain a positive attitude towards menstrual hygiene. Our survey revealed that while there is baseline awareness about menstrual hygiene and open conversations are starting to gain traction, there is still significant scope for enhancing familiarity about the same for people of all genders. This Menstrual Hygiene Day, let’s strive to make a meaningful impact in our campus community and beyond.

Sources :

https://www.healthline.com/health/tampons-vs-pads

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6504186

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/waste/india-s-landfills-add-113k-tonnes-of-menstrual-waste-each-year-report-77247

https://www.onlymyhealth.com/menstrual-cup-vs-disc-what-are-their-pros-and-cons-1715921904

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