Menstrual Hygiene In India

In India, 62% women in the age group 15-24 years still rely on a cloth during periods

It has been revealed that about 43 percent of Indian women did not have access to sanitary essentials at the beginning of periods, while 36 percent felt uncomfortable in buying them with other customers around.

According to a survey conducted by Women Health Organisation as many as 67 percent women have had to borrow a sanitary essential from a friend, colleague or family member.

Hariom Tyagi, CEO of Wet-Dry Personal Care, which owns Everteen, a brand of premium feminine intimate hygiene products said, "The grim reality today is that one in three women hesitates in buying sanitary essentials at a store in the presence of other customers".

The WHO survey was conducted in October 2017 and included women respondents from more than 35 cities all over India including Bengaluru, Chennai, Cuttack, Delhi, Indore, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Ranchi, Srinagar, Surat, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Out of all the participants of the survey, as many as 45 percent said that they have had to borrow the sanitary napkins at least once or twice a year.

More than 45 percent women felt that menstruation was still considered a taboo in the Indian society and 36 percent felt uncomfortable while buying sanitary essentials from a chemist shop in the presence of other customers.

According to a National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16, about 57.6 percent of the Indian women use sanitary napkins and 62 percent women in the age group 15-24 years still rely on a cloth during periods.

Just to Cope up with the situation WOHTHH society is providing free sanitary pads to school going girls at school premises and educating them with menstrual hygiene.