Menstrual hygiene management involves women and girls having access to clean materials to absorb menstrual blood in private as needed, facilities to dispose of used materials, and societal acceptance of menstruation. Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28 aims to break taboos around menstruation. Lack of access to hygiene products and facilities negatively impacts girls' education, health, and self-esteem. Most items used for menstruation are products of chemistry. Proper disposal of sanitary materials is important for health and to prevent the spread of infections.

1. MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT

2. Menstrual hygiene management has been defined as:
‘Women and adolescent girls using a clean menstrual
management material to absorb or collect blood that can be
changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of
the menstruation period, using soap and water for washing
the body as required, and having access to facilities to dispose
of used menstrual management materials’ (UNICEF and WHO,
2014). However, menstrual hygiene is not just about the
management of the menstrual period but also the need to
address societal beliefs and taboos surrounding the issue.

3. Menstrual hygiene day (MHD or MH Day) is an annual
awareness day, on 28 May, that aims to break taboos and
raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual
hygiene management.
• Menstruation: Menstruation is a woman's monthly bleeding.
Most normal menstrual periods last from 3 to 5 days.
• Menstrual cycle provides important body chemicals, called
hormones, to keep you healthy. A cycle is counted from the
first day of 1 period to the first day of the next period.

4. The silence around menstruation, lack of access to sanitation
facilities and hygienic absorbents directly affect women’s and
adolescent girls’ self-esteem, health and education.
• School attendance: 1 in 10 girls in Africa miss school during
menses (UNESCO).
• Access to hygiene products: In India, up to 80% of girls use
old cloths as absorbents.
• Health: Vaginal infections are 70% more likely when using
unhygienic materials.
• Stigmatization and insecurity: In rural communities, women
and girls are forced to sleep in separate sheds while
menstruating

5. Chemistry in Action
•Most of the items used during menstruation are products of
Chemistry

6. Items used during Menstruation
• Soap, sanitary towels, tissue papers, cotton wool, panty
liners, period panties, perfumes, sanitizers, disinfectants and
drugs, are all made by Chemists
• Although water is from nature, it has chemical composition

7. Sanitary Materials
•Sanitary towels / pads / period panties
•Tampons
•Tissue paper
•Cotton wool

8. Sanitary Towels / Pads
• Sanitary towel is a piece of soft material worn by a woman
to absorb blood during her period each month.
• Until disposable sanitary pads were created, cloth or
reusable pads were used to collect menstrual blood.
• Women often used a variety of home-made menstrual pads
which they crafted from various fabrics, or other absorbent
materials, to collect menstrual blood.

9. Items in Sanitary Towels
100% organic cotton pad
Sphagnum; can accumulate liquid or water up to 16–26 times
its dry weight
Undisclosed ingredients (Infinicel): Always infinity contains
foam and a patented ingredient called Infinicel — a highly
absorbent material that can hold up to 10 times its weight
Polyacrylate superabsorbent gel derived from petroleum
Polypropylene
Polyethylene
Chlorine-bleached wood pulp or recycled paper.
Gauze
Adhesive (gum)
Odour neutralizers and fragrances.

11. Tampons
A plug of soft material inserted into the vagina to absorb
menstrual blood
Conventional tampons may also contain dioxins, synthetic
fibers and petrochemical additives
Tampons can react with bacteria in your body to create the
ideal environment for bacteria to flourish, triggering
potentially fatal toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

13. Tissue Paper
Sanitary papers include: toilet paper, paper towels, napkins,
and facial tissues.
Tissue paper is used for bathroom hygiene, wiping up spills
and small bathroom cleaning chores amongst others.
Toilet paper can be one-or two-ply, meaning that it is either a
single sheet or two sheets placed back-to-back to make it
builder and more absorbent.

14. Period panties
• One crucial element in your feminine hygiene repertoire is
period panties. It is made of a layer of special fabrics
designed to pull blood or liquid away from the body, and
trap it inside the underwear so it does not leak out.
• Most of them provide leak-proof protection; some can
actually be worn instead of a pad or tampon.
• Few brands offer panties with a kangaroo pocket in the
front where you can place a heating pad to help with
cramps.

16. Conclusion
In conclusion, chemistry has a great role to play in women’s
menstrual hygiene since most of the items used if not ALL are
made by Chemists.
However, we need to ensure that all waste emanating from
the period of menstruation should be disposed in an
environmental friendly manner, or else pollution will choke
us.
Women in Chemistry (WIC) have a challenge to ensure
women do not suffer from pains, diseases and illnesses
resulting from menstruation.
Be a Woman in Chemistry (WIC) to make the different and
reduce women’s suffering and stress.

17. It is hard to be a woman
• You must think like a man
• Act like a lady
• Look like a young girl
• And work like a horse

18. Until recently, the development sector including WASH
(water, sanitation and hygiene) had not explored and
attempted to address the challenges related to Menstrual
Hygiene Management (MHM), an important issue affecting
the health, dignity and privacy of millions of girls and women
on a daily basis. It is great to have a whole issue of Waterlines
dedicated to MHM, as it will help us, the
maledominated, engineering-based sector, to increase our
understanding of this aspect of the development work we do
on a daily basis.

19. Putting the men into menstruation: the role of men and boys
in community menstrual hygiene management (full text)
This paper examines how men and boys have an essential role
in effective menstrual hygiene programmes and describes an
initiative to engage men and boys in Uttar Pradesh, India. As a
result of the initiative, men and boys have begun to talk about
menstruation more freely and are better able to support the
MHM needs of women and girls within the household,
community, and school.

20. Menstruation and menstrual practices are still clouded by taboos and
socio-cultural restrictions resulting in adolescent girls remaining
ignorant of the scientific facts and hygienic health practices, which
sometimes result into adverse health outcomes.
Menstruation is a major part of life for millions of young girls and
women worldwide. On average, a woman will menstruate for 3,000
days during her lifetime. However, the needs and challenges faced by
many young women and girls as they struggle to manage their
menstrual hygiene are largely ignored, especially in developing
countries. This situation persists despite new developments in the
hygiene and sanitation sector in recent years.

21. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INDICATORS
 28% used sanitary napkin
 Uneducated and poor women less likely to use
sanitary napkin
 16% have menstrual problems
 More than half (55%) have never heard about
RTI/STI
 27% have symptoms of RTI/STI
 Only half of these sought treatment

22. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SANITARY
NAPKIN?
 Sanitary napkin can be used and disposed in a
much easier way as compared to cloth
 It has absorbent material layer, which provides a
dry feeling
 Decreases chances of infections
 Helps in mobility and ease of daily routine work

23. HOW OFTEN TO CHANGE SANITARY NAPKIN
 Change atleast once a day
 Changing every six-eight hours is recommended
 During heavy menses, may need to change every
3-4 hours
 Do not keep till completely soaked

24. WHAT IF USING CLOTH?
 Ensure that clean, soft, dry and absorbent cloth is
used
 In case, it is being reused, it must be washed
thoroughly and dried in private but sunny place.
 After drying, if possible it should be ironed
 store in a clean and dry place
 Do not share this cloth with anyone
 After multiple use, dispose off this cloth

25. WHAT HYGIENE PRACTICES SHOULD BE
FOLLOWED DURING MENSTRUATION?
 Change napkins regularly
 Remember to take change of napkins whenever
going out
 Wash the genital area after each use of the
toilet, also after urination
 Keep the area between the legs dry otherwise
soreness and chaffing may develop
 One can take bath everyday during menses
 Do not wash insides of vagina with soap or any
other product

26. WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO DISPOSE OFF
SANITARY NAPKINS?
 If they are left in the open, they are a sore sight
 May lead to transmission of infections like Hepatitis
B and hepatitis C
 No danger of HIV infection
 Will attract flies and insects

27. HOW TO DISPOSE NAPKINS?
 Napkins should not be thrown into the toilets
particularly the water closet.
 It is better to keep a dust bin in the corner of the
toilet. Wash the soiled napkins and squeeze dry.
Keep old newspapers/waste paper ready to wrap
the washed napkin. Drop it in the bin. You can
dispose the contents of the bin after your cycle
bleed is over or daily.
 In case there is no disposal mechanism prevalent
in your locality, see about disposing it within your
backyard itself either by sanitary pit (burial) or
incineration(burning).