Globally, people still hold onto many taboos and myths around menstruation. Such notions around period create negative attitudes toward this biological phenomenon and menstruators experiencing it.
After menarche, girls experience challenges related to the management of period in public places. According to UNESCO, 1 in 10 school-age African girls do not attend school during menstruation. The World Bank further highlights absences of approximately four days every four weeks.
It is a common habit for girls to stay at home during the time of their monthly menstruation. Existing qualitative studies reveal that the full engagement of girls in school activities is negatively affected. Many girls reported they stayed at home due to menstrual cramping. Insufficient menstrual hygiene materials, inadequate water and sanitation facilities in schools, unsupportive environments, and fear of a menstrual accident further keeps girls away from schools.
Additionally, some girls also avoid standing up to answer teachers’ questions because of stress over leakage or smell and discomfort; or they hesitate to write on the blackboard for fear of menstrual accidents and others seeing blood on their clothes, and the subsequent shame and embarrassment this causes.
The Pain Of Menstruators
In some settings parents may encourage girls to drop out of school because puberty is associated with reproduction; they prefer girls to get married to contribute to the family’s income and may prioritize knowledge not taught in school, such as how to maintain a household. Also, notions of girls becoming sexually desirable after menarche, parents become increasingly fearful of potential sexual harassment at school.
The issue of safety for girls is significant to the onset of menses and the subsequent need for menstrual hygiene management in schools. The safety of existing sanitation facilities within school grounds is questionable.
Studies from South Africa have documented the risks of sexual violence and harassment in restrooms, and the importance of including schoolgirls in the planning of latrine location and structures within schools. Toilet facilities must also have doors and locks inside, to ensure girls can privately and safely manage their menses. Soap and safe water should be available.
Young girls’ knowledge about their bodies and sexual and reproductive health and rights affects their sense of empowerment to manage monthly periods and to make informed decisions about sex after menarche. Without guidance on these topics, they run an increased risk of becoming pregnant or acquiring sexually transmitted infections from unsafe sexual relations, linked to their vulnerabilities because of uneven gender power in intimate relationships.
Period Poverty
Access to menstrual hygiene materials remains a challenge for menstruators in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although evidence is purely anecdotal, risky behaviours have been reported such as girls engaging in transactional sex, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, to acquire the funds to purchase disposable sanitary pads so they can continue to attend school comfortably. More research is required to determine the extent of this problematic dynamic, and solutions must be found to eliminate the need for such transactional relations.
For girls, hygiene during menstruation becomes particularly important. While scientific evidence is currently inconclusive, the risk of vaginal and reproductive tract infections may increase during menstruation. Prolonged use of the same pads may also increase the risk of infection.
The danger is more serious for women living in communities where female genital mutilation is practised. A woman who has experienced genital cutting or infibulation may be inadequate for menstrual flow, increasing chances of blockage and build-up of blood clots.
Lack of information, misconceptions and adverse attitudes to menstruation may lead to a negative self-image among girls who are experiencing menses for the first time and can result in a lack of self-esteem as they grow up.
The culture of ‘silence’ around menstruation increases the perception of menstruation as something shameful that needs to be hidden and may reinforce misunderstandings and negative attitudes toward it. While we are not implying that the same curriculum should be provided for girls as for boys, one of the aims of puberty education should be to sensitize.
Therefore, educating boys – and teachers – on menstruation is aimed at creating a less stigmatizing educational environment for girls, as boys’ lack of understanding is likely to underpin much of the teasing and shaming behaviour that is widely prevalent in schools and elsewhere.