THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A high prevalence of reproductive tract infections (RTI) and consequent infertility among women in the state have once again brought the focus back on menstrual health and hygiene.
Taking note that menstrual hygiene management (MHM) will be the key to address RTI and related infertility, a campaign that targets adolescent girls in the age group of 10 to 18 years is on the anvil.
"The taboos and stigma associated with menstruation are still there. Menstruating women are still considered to be impure and they face exclusion from various daily activities, including education, religious or cultural practices.
The campaign that is on the anvil aims to address this and inculcate MHM practices among the menarches and menstruators," said an officer with the Department of Women and Child Development.
According to the officer, the campaign that targets to reach out to around 15,000 girls will be rolled-out in continuation of the She-Pad project. It will be implemented by the Kerala State Women's Development Corporation (KSWDC).
"Menstrual hygiene is a vital aspect of women's health. The focus will be on generating awareness on MHM at an earlier stage among women," said the officer.
At the same time, a project proposal prepared by the KSWDC said that the campaign, that would get implemented at a cost of Rs 20 lakh, focuses on creating infrastructure and imparting awareness among adolescent girls for healthy menstrual hygiene practices.
Through it, self-esteem could be built and improvement of school attendance and greater socialisation could be attained among the targeted group. The safe and responsible use of menstrual hygiene materials is also a major component of the campaign.
"Infertility among men and women in the state is on the rise though a state-level stat is yet to be compiled. The causative factors include lifestyle change among others. But among women, poor menstrual hygiene is a major factor. It could be due to varying factors like lack of knowledge or due to inadequate WASH facilities (water, sanitation and hygiene)," said a health department official.
According to the officer, though RTI complications are mostly connected with pregnancy-related complications, if left untreated it might lead to complications like pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical cancer and chronic pelvic pain.