NEW DELHI: India has no policy measures to ensure access to menstrual hygiene for menstruating transmen the Centre told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
In a written reply, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharti Pravind Pawar said, “No policy measures exist to ensure access to menstrual hygiene for transgender menstruating men.”
The government reviews the menstrual hygiene scheme in the review meetings with the states and union territories.
The scheme is also reviewed along with the other programmes and schemes under the National Health Mission by the Common Review Mission teams, which visit the selected states and UTs.
She said the centre distributes sanitary napkins via its Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkin (JASSN) scheme, which started in 2018.
She said while in 2018-19, 88,92,244 pads were distributed; in 2019-2088,92,244 pads were sold.
In2019-20, 2,72,99,728-pads were sold ; 2020-21, the number went up to touch 8,74,71,580.
In 2021-22, the figure stood at 11,28,20,604 pads and in 2022-23 till date, 3,80,48,428 pads were sold, the minister said.