Urban slum women still in the dark about periods

Survey reveals lack of awareness about menstruation and hygiene

Devanshi Joshi. Vadodara

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

The Population Research Center at MS University recently conducted a study on women from urban slums in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara, about the level of awareness about menstruation as well as hygiene. The results came as a shocker. It revealed some appalling statistics about the level of awareness about the monthly cycle. The study which was done on 600 un-married women in the age group of 15 to 24 found that 69% of them was unaware of menstruation and the practices till they had their first monthly periods. What was more shocking was that 90% of the women use cloth or home-made pad during the monthly cycles. When it came to health matters, about 88% reported that they experience weakness or get tired easily. Out of this, 31% have been experiencing the problem for less than a year, while 26% have been suffering from it from two years since the start of menstruation cycle. However, as many as 43%, has been suffering from the problem for more than two years.Urvi Shah, a research investigator of at the center said, "Women in the slums feel awkward to speak about menstruation and other sexual issues due to social stigma. I feel a mother should talk about menstruation issues openly with her daughter(s) even before they attain puberty to make the girl prepared for it. Schools too should teach students about such issues as well as its biological implications."Among the various other problems reported, about three fourths of the case studies have experienced painful periods followed by 15 % who reported delayed periods, 11% experience excessive bleeding, while 6% have very less bleeding and only 5% have prolonged bleeding. While surveyed for health problems, particularly reproductive health related problems among these young women, the tacit acceptance of these menstruation-related problems makes it evident that majority of the women 72% have not sought any advice or treatment.The survey found that knowledge regarding physiological changes due to the onset of menarche is also not complete. Dr Binal Shah, a gynaecologist at Karelibaug in Vadodara said, "Our society is steeped in religious believes connected to menarche and menstruation. Due to the increasing level of education, people are becoming more open about sex education but the socially backward classes still feel uncomfortable talking about physical problems. Unawareness about menstruation practice brings unhygienic issues which can turn in to problems related to the reproductive organs."