EDUCATING THE YOUTHS IN SCHOOLS ON MAINTAINING MENTSTRUAL HYGIENE

Menstrual Hygiene is fundamental to the dignity and wellbeing of women and girls and an important part of the basic hygiene, sanitation and reproductive health services to which every woman and girl has a right. Globally, approximately 52% of the female population (26% of the total population) is of reproductive age. Most of these women and girls will menstruate each month for between three and seven days. The subject of menstruation however, is too often taboo, and has many negative cultural attitudes associated with it here in Africa, including the idea that menstruating women and girls are contaminated ‟dirty and impure’’. Women and girls in rural setting and in particular girls in schools suffer most from stigma and lack of services and facilities to help them cope with the physical and psychological pains they undergo during their menstrual periods inadequate preparations for the young girls who have not yet experienced menstrual hygiene, lack of or inadequate water to clean and wash the body, lack of materials managing menstrual hygiene, private space and wash rooms and inappropriate facilities for disposal of materials for those who have used pads. In spite of these issues, menstrual hygiene has been routinely ignored by professionals in the water, health and education sectors.
Currently the means of copying for girl pupils is the use of old cloths, banana leaves, sponge, papers, and dirty napkins. This has greatly girl’s child emotionally, physically and mentally. If menstrual hygiene is not given importance it will raise the risk of reproductive infections and it will affect their health.