Puberty & Menstruation

Girls begin to menstruate anytime between nine and fourteen years. Menarche (first menstruation) and menstruation are normal physiological processes that occur once puberty sets in. In reality, there is nothing unclean or shameful about the process. Though it is not required to go public about it, one can continue their regular normal routine.

Menstruation is the normal, healthy shedding of blood and tissue from the uterus that exits the body through the vagina. The vagina is the small opening that girls have between their legs. Menstruation is also called a girls/woman’s “period.” It usually lasts between three and seven days. Menstruation happens for most girls about once a month. It is a sign that a girl can now become pregnant. Women stop menstruating during pregnancy but then start again after delivery.

Managing Menstruation

Girls need to change their sanitary napkins regularly during the period of menstruation, especially in the first two to three days. The vast majority of girls use cloth pads usually assembled from old clothes, instead of sanitary towels/napkin. This practice is responsible for a significant proportion of illness and infection associated with female reproductive health. Very often serious infections are left untreated. As menstruation is a regular process, it needs hygienic management by using professionally made sanitary napkins.Sanitary napkins come in different shapes, styles and absorbencies for light and heavy days of menstrual bleeding. Some sanitary napkins are made with removable strips of paper that reveal adhesive tape that is made to stick to the panties. Other pads have wrap-around “wings” that wrap under the panties to keep it from moving or “bunching.” Some may prefer the belt model where the napkin is held using the belt.

Vanessa Smart Sanitary Napkin

While most napkin brands only absorb the bleeding to a lesser or greater degree, Indian women now have access to a superior breed of smart sanitary napkin. The Anion Strip in Vanessa smart sanitary napkin has Tourmaline – a natural mineral which releases natural Anions (negative ions or active oxygen) and F.I.R. (far infrared rays). When the Anion-F.I.R. strip in each sanitary pad comes into contact with your body, it releases active oxygen to balance PH levels and hormones.

This has multiple positive effects and offers freedom from 5 period related problems of women by way of fighting vaginal infection, treating inflammation, eliminating odour, reducing fatigue and providing comfort and calm during their menstrual period, without the need for frequent pad change.

Disposal of Napkins

It is essential to know the right way of disposing sanitary napkins in order to ensure sustainable management. In independent homes, one can dig a hole in the backyard and dump the sanitary pad/cloth/napkin for drying and then burn it. Leaving it within the sand will delay decomposition and animals may drag it outside. The common disposal of single napkins is to wash the napkin and then wrap it in a newspaper/waste paper. In public places, one could drop it into bins provided in the toilets. It is advisable for all toilets used by women to have such bins and some wrapping paper to ensure proper disposal mechanisms. In places which are equipped with incinerators, you could drop it inside the equipment which burns the napkins in a healthy and hygienic way.

Flushing it in toilets should not be done as they clog the drains. In schools especially, disposal of sanitary cloth and sanitary napkins in girls’ toilets is a big problem. It affects the proper functioning of the toilets when disposed in the toilet and serious health problems if thrown out in garbage dumps or in the open.