Menstruation- A Taboo In India

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Ever wondered why a shopkeeper gives you a pack of ‘Stayfree’ wrapped in paper? In India, one can openly buy alcohol and cigarettes, buying sanitary napkins still remains a shame.

It’s nothing but a natural process

Menstruation among women, despite being a natural phenomenon has always been encircled by secrecy and myths in many Indian societies. Menstruation, commonly known as periods, still continues to be a deep-rooted taboo in India. In a lot of places, menstruating women are made to abstain from any holy deed, religious or otherwise. They are not allowed to enter the temples and worship, because they traditionally assumed to be impure. The prejudice against menstruating women even goes to the extent of not allowing them to sleep on their beds, take bath or decorate themselves. More often than not, most women face an almost inhuman treatment every month for 4-5 days. The bias is ironical on many levels for a developing country like India where we talk about digitalization, women empowerment, reaching on the Mars and campaigns like “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”.

How do we expect the nation to grow when in India, every year 23 million girls drop out of school as and when they start menstruating, according to report by NDTV. The report also says that 70% of girls remain unaware of menstruation until their first period. Most girls approach their mothers, but in rural areas, even the mothers, due to very limited knowledge of menstrual hygiene and its management, do not know how to explain it to their teen daughters.

Lack of awareness

Most women across India are unaware of the real reason behind menstruation. It has been instead treated as a taboo for generations together. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness continues to shadow young girls reaching their respective menstrual age. The taboo not just affects their social lives but chronically affects their health too. Surveys by the Ministry of Health in 2002, 2005, 2008 and 2012 found out that roughly 120 million menstruating adolescents experience menstrual dysfunctions which affect their everyday lives. Also, due to poor menstrual hygiene, nearly 60,000 deaths are reported every year from India. As a result of the unforgiving stigma, women are hesitant to seek medical help.

Sabarimala issue

One of the recently raised issues in Kerala, a high literacy rate in India burnt in a crimson red fire of period taboo for about four to five months. To contextualise, women between the age of 10-50 were strictly prohibited in the Sabarimala Temple owing to their menstruating bodies. The taboos which should have been vanished long ago are still prevalent due to some unsocial and unreasonable beliefs.

Time to break the myths

Breaking the wheel of poor menstrual hygiene may seem like a herculean task given the gripping clutch of the stigma that has manacled the society as a whole. Menstrual hygiene is a real deal because the lack of it can claim even lives. The deep-rooted stigma, myths and misconception have to be challenged in every household. Most importantly, menstrual awareness needs to be taught in school to everyone including boys. Mothers may need to realise that bleeding daughters are okay and their periods need not come in the way of their growth and education. The change needs to come from every mother who doesn’t tell her daughter “do not discuss your period to anyone”.

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Androgens are hormones produced by the testes, ovaries, and adrenal glands and are responsible for encouraging masculine characteristics like growth of hair on face and body. Though it is produced in both male and female, males have much higher levels. In women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) there may be excess secretion of androgen which may result in excessive growth of facial or body hair. This condition is also known as Hirsutism. This may be a matter of concern as excessive facial hair can result in poor body image and can affect mental health of the patient lowering their self confidence because of their physical appearance. This can be a trying time for any woman. Here are some ways to get rid of facial hair problems.

Treatment and management for Hirsutism

Hirsutism is a very common condition and can be treated or managed early with the right approach by a qualified medical practitioner (gynaecologist, dermatologist or endocrinologist). The hair growth is usually coarser and thicker than the natural normal hair and may appear on the face, chin, neck, chest, belly inner thighs and back. However identifying the underlying cause is very important to make sure the right treatment is given because conditions like tumors on adrenal or pituitary glands and Cushing’s Syndrome can also cause hirsutism.

Temporary hair removal

For a less severe condition, procedures like plucking, waxing, threading and hair removal creams can help to get rid of facial hair. Bleaching helps lighten facial hair to an extent but may not suit certain skin types because of the chemicals present in the creams. Shaving is another simple and safe method many women opt for but may not be an ideal or satisfying one because of the stubble it leaves and rapid hair growth rate. The doctor may also recommend facial cream with eflornithine hydrochloride to slow the rate of hair growth in combination with these procedures but this may also result in acne for some.

Medication

Certain steroids help in treating overactive adrenal glands but come with a hoard of side effects like weight gain, thinning of the skin and bones, and decreased immunity. Hormone pills may help in suppressing release of androgen levels in the ovaries and may cause menopause like symptoms and are complimented with estrogen or progesterone pills. Any medication should be taken only under supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.

Permanent hair removal

Electrolysis is a procedure used for a small area of hair growth where the hair follicle is burnt with a mild current passed through a needle. Laser therapy, though expensive, is the go to treatment for larger areas as it is comparatively less painful or almost painless. However, these therapies work best if they are used in sequel to the medical treatment for the underlying condition causing hirsutism in the first place.

Living with a condition like this on a regular basis can be very challenging. However with the recent body positivity movement gaining momentum, many women all over the world are learning to embrace and accept their body hair and celebrate their looks for what it is.