In celebration of the Menstrual Hygiene Day held annually on May 28, a non governmental organisation, AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, in collaboration with the Strong Enough Girls Empowerment Initiative (SEGEI), the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Women Affairs and health experts, has held a sensitisation campaign for secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Addressing journalists Friday at the Lightway Academy, Abuja, Advocacy and Marketing manager of AHF, Mr Steve Aborisade, said that the Foundation has provided more than 40,000 sanitary pads for women in different states across the federation in celebration of the day, even as he said that AHF provides menstrual hygiene education to Nigerians; in order to bridge the knowledge gap with regards to the ignorance and misconceptions associated with menstruation.
He said: “Menstrual Hygiene Day is to ensure that the message of menstrual hygiene management becomes broadened, especially when we realise that menstruation is a necessity for women. It’s a monthly ritual. Majority of our young girls lack access to sanitary pads, which is necessary for optimal health, especially for girls in school. They have to go to school and they have to have that confidence. When they don’t have access to sanitary pads, a lot of things come into play.
“Some of them skip school because of the fact that they don’t have pads. Even in some schools, there are no water facilities or safe space to change your pad or even to dispose a used pad. We at AHF feel that for a commodity as necessary as a sanitary pad, we must ensure that we provide it. We must ensure that we advocate to other stakeholders to see the need to make the pad available to our young girls.
“We want people to understand that menstruation is necessary for young girls and for a better part of a woman’s life. It has been calculated that the average woman use almost seven years of her life to menstruate. That’s huge. Therefore, there is need for constant attention. We want government and other stakeholders to begin to look inward to see that it is an area of intervention. We want schools to have a corner where the girls can go and have a change of pads.
“Like the Ministry of Women Affairs said, we want a menstrual sanitation bank where we will have enough sanitation pad available for young girls to access. AHF is providing 5 million pads globally for this event, while over 40,000 sanitary pads were distributed to different states we cover in Nigeria. For the sanitary bank idea, we have given the Ministry of Health pads to distribute to women.
“We have also given to our partners in the centres where we operate, including Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and FCT for people to have access. Some women use different objects for their menstruation as a result of not unable to afford sanitary pads and not knowing any better. Therefore, we provide menstrual education to bridge the knowledge gap that.”
Also speaking, Nursing Officer 1, Gender, Adolescent School Health and Elderly Care (GASHE) Department of Family Health in the Ministry of Health, Stella Adaeze Ike, said that misconception and ignorance are some of the challenges associated with menstrual health in Nigeria.
“Use of sugar doesn’t stop menstrual pain. It has no link with menstruation, except misconception. As a women, you don’t have to be shy about menstruation. In fact, you’re free to ask questions whenever you need help with regards to menstraul hygiene. It is also advisable to dispose your used pad properly. There is no point removing the outer layer before disposal, as many claim the blood will be used for ritual purposes.
“For reusable pads, you can wash and sun-dry it. You can also iron it. The ironing is for sterilisation. There are areas without light in Nigeria, so you can sun dry. Whenever you feel abnormal, especially with premenstrual cramps, you can always consult with your doctor for information and assistance,” she said.
On her part, programme officer of Strong Enough Girls Empowerment Initiative (SEGEI), Linda Raji, said that menstrual hygiene and knowledge should be the concern of everyone and not limited to women alone as men can also help girls and women with information on menstruation whenever the need arises, even as she provided tips for girls on menstrual hygiene and disposal of used sanitary pads.
She said: “Sometimes, your period can skip as a result of hormonal imbalance and stress and not necessarily as a result of pregnancy. It is good to take your bath regularly, especially while on your period. That will make you smell nice and not nasty because of your period. Everybody should know something to talk about period, it is not gender based. Men should also know about it so that they can help with information when they can.
“It is advisable that you tie a used pad very well and dispose properly. You should not flush it down your WC because it will block it with time. If you burn it, it will pollute the environment. Also, you should use a pad for a maximum of six hours. You can change every three or four hours, but let it not exceed six hours. Furthermore, be careful of the medicine you use as painkiller when you have menstrual cramps.”