According to a study conducted by UNICEF to determine the existing knowledge levels, attitudes and practices on menstrual hygiene in the State, 70 per cent of adolescent girls in Jharkhand are unprepared for their first menstruation as most of them have limited or no knowledge of menstruation until they attain menarche.
Study proved that the girls were not aware of the need to keep menstrual hygiene during menstruation. About 98 per cent of the girls reused the old menstrual cotton cloth while 80 per cent were unaware of the importance of washing menstrual cloth with soap and about half of them never washed cloth before using it.
The study was conducted in 2013 in Gumla and East Singhbhum districts covering over 4,500 girls, mothers, fathers and frontline workers.
“I cried and I was scared,” said a girl in East Singhbhum after her first menstruation. Almost all mothers (93 per cent) however, felt that girls should know about the menstruation.
Since cloth was the preferred choice as absorbent, about 92 per cent of the girls and 95 per cent mothers used cloth during menstruation, while 79 per cent of teachers and 42 per cent Sahiyas and AWWs used sanitary pads.
The study also revealed that the deep-rooted myths and misconceptions about menstruation among the rural women as well as teachers, anganwari workers and sahiyas, over 80 per cent girls, 87 per cent of sahiyas and anganwadi workers and 88 per cent teachers believed that menstruation was release of bad blood from the body.
Similarly, about 45 per cent of girls and about two-third of teachers, sahiyas and AWWs erroneously thought menstruation is release of body heat. Girls on the other hand also believed that burning of menstrual cloth was a taboo, which would lead to infertility in women. There were mothers who also believed that if the girls go near the boys during menstruation, it would lead them to pregnancy.
“More than 57 per cent of the girls reported restrictions in attending religious functions and other chores during menstruation and 71 per cent girls reported that restrictions were imposed by their mothers,” stated the reports.
The study also revealed that a vast majority of girls missed first one or two days of their schools during menstruation. Girls however, were more comfortable to discuss menstruation related issues with friends, but were reluctant to discuss it with female teacher, it said.
UNICEF in association with Johnson & Johnson is planning to launch a project -- “Breaking the Taboo” in Jharkhand to improve behavior and practices around menstrual health and hygiene.
The project is to cover 3 lakh adolescent girls, 3,800 sahiyas / anganwadi workers / teachers and 1,200 other women including mothers in Gumla and East Singhbhum districts.
The findings of the study were shared with the adolescent girls of 15-17 years during a workshop in Ranchi on Wednesday.
