Support for menstrual health for girls in India

“Why the blood come out from my vagina? It spoils my cloth, it gives me pain” said Kavita when she gets her periods.

Many such girls like Kavita get confused when they get their periods; they have a lot of queries to be discussed with someone.

Here is the story of Kavita.

Kavita (name changed), 14 years, is a special child who is mentally challenged. She attended a Smiley Days awareness workshop with her sister at her community park in previous months. Then the IDF team personally met with her.

Our health counselor asked her sister about the issues Kavita wanted to be guided with. She told us that Kavita came to know about her periods when her clothes get dirty. She didn’t pay heed to her mother’s instructions. She abstained from taking a bath during periods. She used cloth and was unable to take proper diligence while disposing of used cloth and her sister had to help her out. She lacked the ability to undertake hygiene measures. She also experienced severe pain during periods and to relieve her from the pain her mother gave her pain killers.

Kavita was in the need of the person who was able to explain all this to her with love and care. Our health counselor did the job. She made her understand as to how she could know that she is about to menstruate. She was advised to use sanitary napkins. Also, she has explained the hygienic measures to be taken to avoid harmful impacts on health. Counselor also suggested some measures to reduce abdomen pain during menstruation by using warm water and doing some exercises and to avoid pain killers as far as possible.

Now, Kavita uses sanitary pads and takes bath daily and wears clean undergarments during periods.