More often not, a large section of women are compelled to use unhealthy menstrual hygiene products owing to their monetary conditions, or do not have access to feminine hygiene products. Risks of poor menstrual hygiene are aplenty and need to be kept in mind and eradicated.
Maintaining good and healthy menstrual hygiene is of paramount importance. More often than not, a large section of women are compelled to use unhealthy menstrual hygiene products owing to their monetary conditions, or do not have access to feminine hygiene products. While sanitary napkins were exempted from the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax on Saturday (July 21), there is still a long way to go. Risks of poor menstrual hygiene are aplenty and need to be kept in mind and eradicated.
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Here are some of them.
Urogenital infections
Poor menstrual hygiene is intricately linked with several risk infections. Irise International, an organisation that works towards providing with sustainable solutions to girls who face problems in their schools during menstruation, quotes a study in India that says that women who use something other a disposable pad are more likely to suffer from urogenital infections or non-sexually transmitted infections.
Yeast infection
Washing hands after changing sanitary napkins is always advisable and is a healthy habit. However, those who do not do so, might run the risk of suffering from a yeast infection or even Hepatitis B.
Fungal infections
Using unclean sanitary napkins can lead to several health hazards one of them being fungal infections.
Urinary tract infection
The article Menstrual Hygiene Practices, WASH Access and the Risk of Urogenital Infection in Women from Odisha, India cites that urinary tract infection is one of the most prevalent forms of infection in girls and women of menstruating age caused mainly due to unhygienic menstrual practices.
Cervical cancer
Unhealthy menstrual practices are linked to cervical cancer. The article Relations between poor menstrual practices and cervical cancer mentions the same.
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