Pharmacy Daily | Why is ending period poverty elusive?

PERIOD poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education, forcing people to use inadequate substitutes (rags, leaves) or miss school/work, impacting health, dignity, and education due to stigma and cost.

It affects millions globally, including in developed nations.

"Ending period poverty and stigma is important if adolescent girls and young women are to live a dignified life with rights," said Angel Babirye, Emerging Women Deliver leader from Uganda and President of the African Youth and Adolescent Network East and Southern Africa.

"Period poverty and stigma are affecting so many girls across Africa.

"Many of them are lacking safe absorbent materials essential for menstrual hygiene, and are thus forced to use unsafe absorbent materials, for example soil, sand and, in extreme cases, cow dung."

These absorbent materials end up increasing their susceptibility to reproductive tract infections, Babirye explained.

Sometimes women and girls are forced to go for transactional sex, increasing the risk of sexual violence which in turn increases their risk of HIV, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.

"Menstruation is largely shrouded in myths and misconceptions," Babirye said.

"We must normalise conversations around menstruation because it is normal.

"Girls need to have safe spaces to speak up about menstruation, and also need to have access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene too.

"Girls and women must also have safe and private facilities to change absorbent materials as and when required, as well as spaces to dispose of the used absorbent materials," she added.

In Uganda, one in four girls drops out of school once they begin menstruating, and among those who stay in school, absenteeism triples during their periods.

"Let us address menstrual hygiene, period poverty and stigma in a comprehensive way so that girls can have safe and dignified lives," Babirye concluded.

This article was contributed by Shobha Shukla, President of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice, and Executive Director of Citizen News Service.