Menstrual hygiene is every woman’s birthright and it is important to empower her with the knowledge
They are glossy images, convey empowering messages, and have become an essential part of the narrative about women’s bodies, biological processes, and place in the natural order of things.
I am referring to advertisements on sanitary pads in the public domain. We welcomed this shift long ago as they seek to banish the harmful taboos and stigmas around a perfectly natural phenomenon in a woman’s life.
The advertisements helped change the perception of menstruation and sanitary pads from shame into a symbol of feminine power and identity.
However, we also need to focus on the larger picture of women’s health and the role of menstrual hygiene that gets overlooked in the hype.
In many cultures worldwide, the taboo and social stigma about the monthly periods means women resort to homemade contraptions to work as a sanitary pad that includes old cloth, shredded female garments, and cotton strips.
Why is menstrual hygiene important?
Menstrual material management is at the heart of women’s health. Although periods are a biological necessity that occurs month after month until a woman reaches menopause, ignorance of handling menstrual periods is not uncommon in all ages, irrespective of the woman’s economic status or educational background.
Many women are still not aware of the problems that can arise from poor hygiene while using the wrong sanitary pads. In many instances, it can lead to severe Reproductive Tract and Urinary Tract Infections (RTI and UTI).
Women have suffered silently for long
When a woman menstruates, her reproductive organs (uterus, ovaries and vagina) are vulnerable. Any infection from a dirty piece of cloth can travel inside her body and result in nagging ailments that can impact her general and reproductive health. For example, many women in rural India suffer UTI and RTI silently. The stigma surrounding menstruation overrides their need to signal for help. This silent suffering impacts not only a woman’s productivity and happiness but also her motherhood.
The concept of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)
No matter how developed a country, the topic of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) or menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) continues to be relevant.
Every woman on the planet deserves access to hygienic, safe menstrual products, but unfortunately, we are far from that ideal state.
I say this from personal experience. For many years, I suffered from several Urinary Tract Infections and dreaded the rashes that would routinely appear due to the sanitary pad’s constant friction. Eventually, unable to endure the continuous stress of UTI, I switched to 100 per cent organic and cotton sanitary pads, and overnight, my infection disappeared. During my periods, I felt light, comfortable, and healthy.
This experience led to the idea of Orgabliss. It’s a product after my heart I launched in 2020 during the peak of the pandemic, despite all odds. I wanted to help every woman stay protected from infections and in top hygiene during menstruation. I did not want anyone’s daughter, including mine, to experience menstruation hygiene issues or discomfort due to the kind of sanitary pads they used.
Why is a sanitary pad such a critical product?
Because it is used during one of the most sensitive periods in a woman’s life.
Menstruation is a period of a mind-body shift. In this phase, a woman needs to feel fully hygienic and free of discomfort and ill health.
The idea behind Orgabliss is not to just make a product. I want women to feel cared for, to feel special. I want to give them the joy of being in control.
My search for the most comfortable, safe, sanitary pad ensured that Orgabliss is 100 per cent cotton, wholly biodegradable and chlorine-free. Not content with this, I went a step ahead and added the negative ion technology to the pad’s inner lining.
The organic fabric chip inside the pad releases 6,120 ions per cubic centimetre. When this chip meets blood or water, it triggers oxygen production, destroys harmful bacteria, and allows your intimate parts to breathe normally. The negative ion technology eliminates fatigue and induces restful sleep. Women know that nighttime can be pretty distressing during periods, and wearing the right sanitary pad is crucial to experience comfort and hygiene.
Few people know that about four billion bacteria are released from the uterine walls when a woman menstruates. One of the primary causes of infection is this menstrual bacterium, which also causes odour and fatigue. When the pad is made with inappropriate or even harmful materials, the blood is not adequately absorbed into the pad and pushed back into the body. Remember, your body is expelling this blood. So, it needs to go out, not in. But due to the poor quality of sanitary pads, the reverse phenomenon is a common occurrence, and it can cause a host of health problems, many of them severe.
I will dwell at length on the many health problems in another blog.
Celebrate the essence of womanhood
I have experienced the freedom from worry and discomfort after ditching the wrong sanitary pads. I now want every woman on the planet to share this freedom. Just as having menstrual periods is every woman’s biological inevitability, choosing to be free of the pitfalls of menstruation hygiene is her birthright.