Pillars of Menstrual Health

Menstrual health is a collective effort to achieve it regardless of gender. So much happens during the menstrual cycle and it requires diligence, love, care, understanding, and the essentials from the sanitary towel, clean undergarments, washing things, and painkillers among other things to enable the lady to go through it successfully and healthy.

On the 1^st of December 2012,15 years then my menses came. It was just two days after my operation, I couldn't talk because my stitches were so fresh and I couldn’t move because of a needle in my skull drawing de-oxygenated blood from my head, I mean I was helpless at the time to handle my menses. I get severe cramps and being out of the theater lately didn’t help matters. I used to write in a notebook whenever I wanted something to be done but this one I could write it because it was long and my family never understood everything I wrote in that book. My aunty noted a stained sheet and was curious so she rushed to the doctor only for them to be told it was not abnormal bleeding rather it was my menses. With the help of my mom, grandmother, and aunty they cleaned me up, marked I couldn’t do anything on my own, not even moving but they helped me through that phase successfully.

Imagine if I were from a community where touching the menses was a taboo what would have become of me? The taboos and stigmas attached to the menstrual cycle should be done away with, it is a natural phase and if one misses it spells danger health wise so why send those experiencing it naturally to trauma? We are in a new era and should embrace education on this vital and sensitive topic. In some communities, girls get isolated when in their menses, that is not the time to isolate them they need people the most. While in isolation so much can happen who will help them? They should be safe all through it.

We need to be aware of the pattern, how it happens, and the healthy essentials because some girls have health issues that make them react to certain products hence making them choosy about the products they use. Most girls are sent into silence because of certain beliefs and the fear of being sent out, while it may seem normal for the community some have little to no understanding of such beliefs and their mental health gets tampered with in the process and they end up falling into depression for the feeling of rejection that creeps into them. It is that love, concern, understanding, and not how much you can provide during the phase. Using just washable towels, with guidance, love, and care is healthier than being given all the essentials only to be sent into isolation during that phase, it is traumatizing and demeaning to the nature of a woman. We should embrace changes as they come so that we don’t suffocate our women in the name of holding onto beliefs that take away their sanity. We should understand that it is from a healthy menstrual cycle that gives hope of a woman conceiving some day so we shouldn’t just be enjoying the fruit (child) while we are busy despising the process that gives hope of the fruits occurring.