Menstruation and the problems associated with it!

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5. Menstruation and the problems associated with
it!
Do you know how many women in India
menstruate? There are 40 crore menstruating women
in India. Do you know how many of them use
Sanitary napkins or pads? The number is less than
20. So, what does this mean? This only indicates
that most females do not have consistent access
to good-quality menstrual hygiene products and
that too every month. Then what do women all over
India use when they are on their periods? Data
shows that around 88 of women and girls in India
use unhygienic homemade alternatives, such as old
cloth, rags, hay, sand, or ash. Can you guess
how harmful all these are for women? Can you
imagine how many fatal diseases spread by using
these materials? And this horror does not stop
hereAbout 71 of adolescent girls in India remain
unaware of menstruation until they get their
first period. Women are afraid to talk about it,
even with their own daughters. Most men do not
know, others do not care. This adversely affects
the confidence and self-esteem of females all
over our country. This lack of awareness means
that they do not prioritise menstrual health as
an essential need. Sanitary napkins are not that
cheap and thus, underprivileged women are unable
to afford them for themselves or their
daughters. They suffer and so do their
daughters.Even today, menstrual cups are
unaffordable for a lot of urban women.The ones
that can afford them feel that they would be
uncomfortable. Others are afraid of inserting
something inside them.