What Is Menstrual Health Awareness? Health Tips For Your Period Cycle

Menstruation marks the beginning of physiological maturation in girls. Until menopause, this becomes an essential part of their lives. In addition to personal significance, this phenomenon also has social implications. Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) are critical to the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls. 

Menstruation in India is often associated with myths and restrictions that lead to a lack of menstrual health awareness among adolescent girls and women. Not practising enough menstrual hygiene is the leading cause of stress that comes with menstruation and reproductive tract infections.  
 

To manage menstruation effectively, girls and women need access to water, sanitation and hygiene products. Affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene products, information on best practices, and a supportive environment where they can easily manage their menstruation without embarrassment and stigma. Read the blog to learn more about menstrual health awareness and some effective health tips for your period cycle.  

Table Of Contents 

1. What Is Menstrual Health? 
2. What Is Menstrual Cycle Awareness? 
3. How Do You Create Menstrual Hygiene Awareness? 
4. Why Is Menstruation Knowledge Important? 
5. What Is The Best Pain Relief For Period Pain? 
6. Tips To Maintain Menstrual Hygiene  
7. The Final Say 
8. FAQs 
9. References  

What Is Menstrual Health? 

Menstruation, also known as “Period”, is a normal biological process that millions of women around the world experience every month. This period occurs when the uterus loses blood and tissue from the uterine lining and exits the body through the vagina. Menstrual health refers to a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity in relation to the menstrual cycle. 

Although the definition of menstrual health is multifaceted and multidisciplinary, new questions related to menstrual health indicators are increasingly being included in household surveys used in national and global monitoring of water, sanitation and hygiene. These indicators can be grouped into four areas: 

• Awareness of menstruation before menarche (first menstruation).  
• Use sanitary products such as pads, cloths, tampons, and cups to collect and store menstrual blood. It can also be divided into disposable products and reusable products.  
• Access a private space to do laundry and change clothes at home.  
• Participate in activities during your period, including school, work, and social activities. 

What Is Menstrual Cycle Awareness?

Menstruation, or the onset of menstruation, is a normal, healthy part of life for most women. Although menstruation and its debilitating nature are real, they are often glossed over. Respecting menstrual hygiene requires recognising that menstruation is a natural part of life, and the taboos associated with it must be eliminated. 

Menstrual health awareness has increased in urban areas, with more and more women preferring sanitary pads over cloth. Innovations are occurring in products such as menstrual cups and menstrual discs. But there is still a stigma in many places, and some girls and women feel embarrassed or ashamed when they must talk about their periods. Some people may avoid certain activities and miss out on important experiences. This is why menstrual awareness is so important.  

Menstrual health awareness is a recent nationwide phenomenon. Women have long been working to make sanitary products more accessible and end stigma, but it has only recently sparked a public outcry. Menstrual health awareness highlights the need to provide hygiene products to those who need them, but there are other aspects to this as well.  

According to UNICEF, poor menstrual hygiene can pose a threat to physical health and is linked to genital and urinary tract infections. Raising awareness and openness is one of the most effective ways to help girls learn about proper menstrual hygiene! 

How Do You Create Menstrual Hygiene Awareness?

Menstrual health awareness highlights the need to provide hygiene products to those who need them, but there are other aspects to this as well, which are as follows: 

1. Break The Stigma  

A girl's first period can be a life-changing experience because it symbolises her entry into womanhood. But it can also be confusing and a little scary. This is because many girls do not have all the information they need to manage their first menstrual cycle. Menstruation and feminine hygiene are rarely talked about openly in a way that makes girls feel comfortable during this new stage of life.  

Society often treats menstruation and women's health in general as something we don't talk about openly. Menstrual health awareness can help erase the stigma associated with menstruation. This applies not only to girls who will personally experience menstruation. Boys should also participate in the conversation. That way, girls will know that having periods isn't "disrespectful."  

2. Educating Young Girls 

Another important issue that menstruation awareness can help with is educating young people about menstruation and feminine hygiene. Due to the stigma discussed above, some girls may not want to talk about their periods with their parents or guardians.  

Normalising open conversations about menstruation will help girls learn about the different feminine hygiene products available to them and how to use them correctly. According to UNICEF, poor menstrual hygiene can pose a threat to physical health and is linked to genital and urinary tract infections. Raising awareness and openness is one of the most effective ways to help girls learn about proper menstrual hygiene.  

3. Addressing Period Poverty  

Another reason menstrual health awareness has become an important issue is menstrual poverty. The rising cost of pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and more means many women can't always afford to buy the products they need each month. This is also called period poverty. Nonprofit organisations founded and led by young women have played a big role in the menstrual awareness movement, addressing and curbing period poverty as every woman must have access to menstrual products.  

Why Is Menstruation Knowledge Important? 

For many women, their menstrual cycle can disrupt their daily lives and cause discomfort when carrying out daily tasks. Discomforts such as muscle cramps, pain, general fatigue and acne are a normal part of the menstrual cycle, but they can be dangerous if proper menstrual hygiene is not maintained. This is why ensuring a proper understanding of menstrual hygiene is paramount  

Menstruation and menstrual practices continue to be undermined by taboos and socio-cultural restrictions, leaving adolescent girls ill-informed and ignorant of scientific facts and hygienic health practices, sometimes resulting in unhealthy outcomes. Maintaining menstrual hygiene is important for women because it can increase their vulnerability to genital tract infections (UGTIs).  

Poor menstrual hygiene is another major reason for the high prevalence of RTIs in the country and contributes significantly to female morbidity. A lack of knowledge about menstruation and menstrual hygiene leads to wrong attitudes and practices.  

Various issues need simultaneous attention to promote menstrual hygiene, including awareness, availability and quality of sanitary napkins, regular supply, confidentiality, water supply, napkin disposal, reproductive health education and family support. 

What Is The Best Pain Relief For Period Pain? 

Here are some of the pain-relieving options that you can try to manage or cure your period cramps in the most natural way: 

1. Take Hing Oil Capsule 

Suppose you need a natural remedy to treat menstrual cramps. In that case, you can take Hing oil or Asafoetida oil capsules that have ferulic acid and coumarin for cramps, which normalises progesterone for flow regulation, and incensole balances hormones and MCTs and enzyme regulation helps in digestion. It has 3% hing oil, 17% frankincense, and 80% coconut oil. All these natural ingredients help relieve cramps, regulate periods, control mood fluctuations, and Reduce bloating. 

Here are some additional benefits of hing oil regarding menstrual health awareness:  

• Balances Hormones and Nutrient Absorption 

Hing oil capsules contain 400 mg of nourishing coconut Oil, which maintains your body's hormonal balance and enhances nutrient absorption. By improving the assimilation of essential nutrients, coconut Oil ensures your body receives maximum benefits from the food you consume. 

• Reduces Period Cramps & Bloating 

The capsules harness the power of hing oil and provide remarkable benefits. With 15 mg of hing oil in each capsule, you can experience relief from bloating and period cramps. Bid farewell to irregular periods and embrace a more comfortable and enjoyable life.

2. Applying Heat 

Applying heat to your abdomen and lower back helps you get relief from menstrual pain. Don't worry if you don’t have a hot water bottle or heating pad. You can also take a warm bath instead. To make your heating pad, here are the steps:  

• Take two pieces of fabric and cut and sew them together. Leave a hole at the top.  
• Fill the fabric with uncooked rice and sew up the hole.  
• Microwave it up to the desired temperature for a few minutes, and don't overheat!  
• Let it cool and wrap your homemade pad in a towel to reduce heat transfer. Reuse as necessary. 

3. Massaging With Essential Oils 

Massage therapy for menstrual pain involves pressing specific points of your body while the hands of your therapist move around your abdomen, side, and back. 

Adding essential oils for aromatherapy style of massage may provide you with additional benefits. 

Some essential oils that may help in the massage are: 

• Lavender 
• Peppermint 
• Rose 
• Fennel 

Tips To Maintain Menstrual Hygiene

Here are some menstrual health awareness tips to follow to protect yourself from infections and illnesses during your period: 

The Final Say 

Menstrual health awareness and education about menstruation are very important to break the cycle of harmful stigma that is deeply rooted in society. Additionally, it is important to ensure that women can manage their menstrual cycle safely and hygienically. Menstrual education is important in reducing menstrual poverty as education is the first step in highlighting the availability and importance of appropriate menstrual care products and products.   

Although slowly, things are definitely changing. People's attitudes have changed. Although we are becoming more open to discussing menstruation, there is still much work to be done. For more health-related concerns, visit ToneOp Care!