Breaking the Silence: The Urgent Need for Menstrual Education

Image Source- Days for Girls International

The suicide of a 14-year-old girl from Mumbai due to stress caused by first periods has made headlines in the news. As per reports, the girl was under stress and misinformation regarding the menstrual cycle. The drastic step has once again brought need of period and mental health education into the spotlight.

Though her step was drastic, her fear and stress regarding periods have been shared by all the women and girls who experience period for first time. When I got my period for the first time, like many other girls, I thought that it was the last day of my life. Periods, even now, remains a taboo in the Indian society, especially in villages and lower-tier cities. Many girls get to know what periods are when they experience it for the first time. There is no prior knowledge of periods before the first cycle begins. Girls are instructed to not talk about periods with male members of the family and guy friends as well. This can lead to misinformation when they do not get the right information from elder women in the families, who may themselves lack proper knowledge. The lack of information, misinformation and the shush around it creates fear and stress about this blood-y monthly phenomena.

There was a case in Mumbai Metropolitan Region some time back as well where a man murdered his minor sister when he mistook period stain for result of a physical relationship. These incidences highlights the need for period education, for all the genders, from a young age (maybe 10 as now many girls start to get periods as young as 8-10 year old, known as premature puberty/menarche). They can simply be introduced to periods as what it is (example- a monthly blood flow) and can be taught in more detail with advancing age. This education must be provided by both parents and teachers in schools. 

In school, across India, many teachers do happen to sweep the subject under the rug or quickly run through it, leaving students confused. When I was in 8th standard, my biology teacher in tuition did go into a great deatil about the topic. Though the students shared awkward eye contacts at that time, I now think about the importance of speaking about it in a candid way.

As for the mental pressure caused by periods, both by society and biological reasons, people need to be taught how to deal with stress and emotions in the right way. National Education Policy proposed on inclusion of training in health, one of those being the mental well-being. The basic psychology and training to how to deal with stress and emotions, along with a counsellor in every school, can greatly benefit students.

Education on menstruation is required for physical and mental well-being of girls, eradicating any infections or fears resulting from lack ofsanitation, hygience or shush around the topic.