Menstrual hygiene day
| Menstrual Hygiene Day | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Also called | MHD or MH Day |
| Observed by | people worldwide |
| Type | International |
| Significance | To break taboos surrounding menstruation, raise awareness of the importance of good menstrual hygiene management worldwide. |
| Date | May 28 |
| Frequency | annual |
| First time | May 28, 2014 |
| Related to | Global Handwashing Day |
Menstrual hygiene day (MHD or MH Day) is an annual awareness day, on 28 May, that aims to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for women and adolescent girls worldwide. It was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United in 2014. The initiative for Menstrual Hygiene Day has received the support of over 270 global partners who are committed to making good menstrual health and hygiene a priority worldwide. The day complements other important days of the year in relationship to sanitation and hygiene, such as 15 October for Global Handwashing Day or 19 November for World Toilet Day. May 28 was chosen for its symbolism since May is the 5th month of the year and most women average 5 days every month and their cycle is approximately 28 days.
An appropriate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is defined as:
Inadequate menstrual hygiene management is connected with several problems that females face, in particular in developing countries. The current silence about menstruation limits women’s and adolescent girls’ access to relevant and important information about their bodies, directly affecting their health, education, dignity and human rights. In a 2014 study conducted in India, the researchers found that as many as 42% of women who participated in the study did not know about sanitary pads or from where in their anatomy menstruation originated from and "most of them were scared or worried on first menstruation." Worldwide, one in three women does not have access to a working toilet at all. Menstrual hygiene management issues have been ignored by professionals in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector, and in the health and education sectors, too.
Poor MHM may affect the reproductive tract but the specific infections, the strength of effect, and the route of transmission, remain unclear. In India, a majority of girls are at risk for reproductive tract infections (RTI) because of poor MHM and RTI can lead to various disabilities if not treated early on. Reproductive tract infections are the cause of 30–50% of prenatal infection. Due to prejudices surrounding the issue, some women in India do not eat or take showers during their menstruation.
...
Wikipedia