Menstrual Hygiene Day: 10 Perineal Hygiene Tips Every Woman Must Follow

#WeAreCommitedTo: Dr Joshi shares important personal, intimate tips helpful every day during the menstrual cycle.

We all know World Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on 28th May globally. This celebration globally highlights the international efforts by the World Health Organisation and various non profit organisations in women's health. It advocates good menstrual Hygiene management and helps push social movements or awareness against the taboos associated with menstruation. Taking a step further to end the menstruation stigma and make menstruation a simple fact of life, The slogan for the year 2023 is #WeAreCommitedTo.

Talking About This Day

Dr Vaishali Joshi, a senior Obstetrician & Gynaecologist at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, shares, "Menstruation or monthly periods have been associated with a lot of social, cultural taboos all over the world. As a result, women having periods are socially discriminated against, cast out and miss out on basic personal hygiene, privacy and dignity. Moreover, many vulnerable women don't have access to adequate and safe menstruation management tools due to cost. Therefore, celebrating WMH in society at national and international levels involving social media and engaging different platforms like schools, workplaces, government organizations & NGOs helps to raise awareness about periods and menstrual products. In addition, it helps spread knowledge and understanding that menstruation is a natural process and a normal part of life."

Dr Joshi shares important personal, intimate tips helpful every day during the menstrual cycle, as follows:

1. First, wash your genitals with water
2. Dry every time after washing.
3. Avoid repeated uses of intimate washes or medicated solution
4. Avoid using bath salts or vaginal sprays, or deodorants.
5. Wear loose, cotton underwear. You can change them at night
6. Wash the innerwear separately with hypoallergic detergents.
7. Drink plenty of water to maintain hydration
8. Pass urine immediately after intercourse
9. Always use a condom with your definitive contraceptive method, mainly if you are in a new relationship.
10. Do not self-medicate if you have any issues with vaginal discharge, itching or pain while passing urine or during intercourse.

Talking about Hygiene, Dr Joshi elaborates, "Hygiene during the menstruation phase has faced challenges for a long time due to social taboos associated in the community, family, access to water or sanitation, availability and affordability of sanitary measures like sanitary pads or menstrual cups and privacy."

The things to follow for menstrual hygiene are:

1. Use of clean or hygiene sanitation products like pads, napkins, clean clothes or tampons
2. Change it every 4-6 hours.
3. Hand washing before and after use or change of pads
4. Access to toilets with clean water where privacy is maintained.
5. Disposal of sanitary pads is done in an environmentally friendly manner
6. Using a menstrual cup, cleaning, and storing it must be done as per instructions.