Few decades back, any talk about menstrual products was a no-go, even in the most progressive circles. Then with liberalism, we saw a host of ads on our own televisions- asking women to use the safer, freer way of menstruating – using Sanitary Pads!. Now the blue ink absorbing pads are the go-to menstrual product and few questions are raised on its efficacy, safety and sustainability.
In a survey conducted by Youth Ki Awaaz taken by 11,161 respondents, 71% of respondents said that they use sanitary pads as the menstrual protection method. However, use of other menstrual products such as menstrual cups and tampons was seen to be as low as 3% and 5% respectively. This raises the question “are menstruators in India being denied access to other (safer and cheaper) methods of menstrual protection because of extreme commercialization of sanitary pads?”
First of all, the most important factor here is the safety in terms of hygiene and health of menstruators. Products like tampons and pads pose health issues like Dioxin Exposure and Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) and still are the most widely adopted methods by menstruators, not just in India but globally. On the other hand, menstrual cups are not just safer, they are also a cost-effective alternative to disposable products, with a single cup lasting up to 10 years!
In this context, another interesting data point emerges from the YKA survey. The majority of the respondents considered disposable sanitary napkins to be the safest form of MHM product, and Natural Materials as the most unsafe. This lack of knowledge about the possible side-effects of sanitary pads may be attributed as one of the reasons why it is so widely adopted.
The choice of an appropriate one becomes even more important in context of the issue of waste generation. A variety of alternatives like menstrual cups are also reusable and thus more environment- friendly. In this case, the YKA survey did find an optimum level of awareness. In terms of being environmentally-safe, the respondents 63.4% of times did recognize that sanitary pads are harmful to the environment. Among women, the awareness was greater with 71.7% of total women considering it harmful, as compared to 34.6% of men.
However, penetration of products like menstrual cups in Indian markets remains limited to upper-class urban locales. The lack of availability of better products is a bg hindrance in women switching to safer and sustainable methods. In fact, 80. 7% of menstruators who find sanitary pads to have environmental consequences are ready to switch to alternate eco-friendly products, provided it provides quality protection and is affordable.
This suggests that if efforts are made to make environmentally sustainable products popular, cheaper and easily accessible, we can see a shift in the menstrual product use pattern leading to a decrease in sanitary pad wastage.
To delve deeper into the topic of waste generation due to sanitary pads, 64.7% respondents sealed and disposed off their sanitary pads in dustbins, while 3% of them disposed of it off without sealing. The practice of burning and burying was carried out by 3.1% and 1.5% respondents respectively.
The highest practice of burning was found in Kerala with 36.7% followed by Himachal Pradesh with 17.1%. In the case of burying, with 14.7%, Himachal Pradesh was the highest, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 7.9%.
The method of disposal is also a huge result of the taboo associated with Periods. A lot of women find it extremely difficult to go out in periods and have no dustbins in their washrooms. There is also a huge disparity between rural and urban areas where rural women have to wake up early to dispose of the sanitary pads and cannot do so the rest of the day. This highlights a need for a systemic intervention to make sanitary pad disposal safe, affordable and easy for women.
Challenges and Recommendations:
Another study on Menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent women in rural India Says that there is a need for increased distribution of subsidized or free menstrual hygiene products to disadvantaged women, especially in rural areas, to improve hygienic practices and overall health outcomes[3]. The practice of segregating menstruating girls and women to inadequate facilities like “period huts” poses a significant barrier to their sexual and reproductive health in some regions of India. A research by DFC highlights that the lack of access to affordable hygiene products in India forces around 80% of women to use unhygienic forms of menstrual protection, significantly impacting their quality of life and education[4].
Initiatives like the distribution of menstrual cups in states like Kerala and Karnataka aim to provide sustainable alternatives to sanitary napkins and promote menstrual hygiene across India and should be replicated countrywide. Education and awareness play a crucial role in addressing menstrual health challenges, including breaking social taboos, promoting gender equality, and ensuring equitable access to menstrual products and facilities[5].
Citations:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10434932/
[2] https://www.wateraid.org/in/publications/landscape-of-menstrual-products-in-india
[3] https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-14622-7
[4] https://www.dfc.gov/investment-story/increasing-access-hygiene-products-women-india
[5] https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/menstrual-hygiene-day-india-challenges-taboo-period-equity/article66900205.ece