A gynaecologist at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Ann Peter has warned against poor menstrual hygiene, saying it cause serious health risks, such as reproductive and urinary tract infections which can result in future infertility and birth complications.
Ann gave the warning in Maiduguri on Wednesday during a press conference in commemoration of the international menstrual hygiene day, organized by the Center for Advocacy, Transparency, and Accountability Initiative(CATAI).
She noted that neglecting to wash hands after changing menstrual products can spread infections, such as hepatitis B and thrush.
According to her, girls and women require access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene materials, information on good practices and a supportive environment where they can manage menstruation without embarrassment or stigma.
“Many studies show that inadequate sanitary facilities affect girls’ experiences at school, causing them to miss classes during their menstruation or even drop out.
“When girls and women have access to safe and affordable sanitary materials to manage their menstruation, they decrease their risk of infections.”
Also speaking, Executive Director of the Center for Advocacy Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI), Mr Mu’azu Abubakar stated that every Nigerian girl of reproductive age has a right to affordable menstrual hygiene products as an essential human need, however, menstrual products are presently unaffordable to women and girls and other low-income women in vulnerable communities.
“Menstrual hygiene products and mode of disposal are not easily assessable to every girl and woman which has caused disease-related illness to them due to the following factors – Menstrual poverty, infections and diseases and sex for survival.
“Lack of retention of girls in school. Our education system is collapsing by the day with a very high number of school dropouts among which are girls, according to a 2022 UNICEF report stated that currently in Nigeria 18.5 million are out of school children of which sixty per cent are girls that is over 10 million girls are out of school which attributed to the high cost of sanitary pad, poor WASH facilities and unavailability in some locations.
“Education has long been seen as a pivotal element within menstrual health. (Pre-)menstrual education provides a window of opportunity to educate adolescents about changes occurring in their body, the reproductive system, fertility, contraception, and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. It can also be an entry point to start the conversation on child marriages and how to prevent it.
“It is, therefore, crucial to make menstrual education part of an expanded agenda for sexual and reproductive health rights and, in general, on women’s health through their life-cycle, with not merely a focus on the reproductive process but also on information about health. issues that can affect them in different parts of their life.
“Young girls in this region build their knowledge on menstrual hygiene from their own experience,” he said.
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