Building Menstrual Health Awareness: Practical Tips for Education, Advocacy, and Support
Menstrual health awareness is a crucial aspect of overall health and wellbeing for people who menstruate. However, in many cultures and communities, it remains a taboo topic that is not discussed openly. The lack of knowledge and awareness about menstrual health can lead to social stigma, discrimination, and even health problems. In this article, we will discuss the importance of menstrual health awareness and provide practical tips for building it in your community.
Why is Menstrual Health Awareness Important?
Menstruation is a natural process that affects around 50% of the world’s population, yet it is still surrounded by shame and secrecy in many parts of the world. Lack of knowledge and awareness about menstrual health can have serious consequences for individuals who menstruate, including:
- Social Stigma and Discrimination: In many cultures, menstruation is still considered taboo and shameful. This can lead to social stigma and discrimination, preventing people who menstruate from participating in certain activities or even being excluded from their communities.
- Health Problems: Poor menstrual hygiene practices, such as using unclean materials or not changing pads or tampons frequently enough, can lead to infections, such as urinary tract infections and toxic shock syndrome.
- Missed School and Work: Lack of access to menstrual products and facilities for managing periods can cause students and workers to miss school or work, leading to a loss of productivity and potential income.
- Limited Opportunities: In some parts of the world, girls and women are forced to drop out of school or work because of their periods, limiting their opportunities for education and economic empowerment.
How to Build Menstrual Health Awareness
- Education: One of the most critical steps in building menstrual health awareness is education. This includes teaching young people about their menstrual cycles, how to manage their periods safely and hygienically, and how to recognize potential health problems.
- Encourage Open Discussions: Encouraging open discussions about menstruation can help break down social stigma and discrimination. It is important to create safe spaces where people can discuss their experiences and ask questions without fear of judgment.
- Access to Menstrual Products: Access to menstrual products is crucial in ensuring that people who menstruate can manage their periods safely and hygienically. Governments and organizations should work to ensure that menstrual products are available and affordable.
- Advocacy: Advocating for menstrual health awareness and education can help raise awareness of the issue and encourage governments and organizations to take action.
- Support for Menstruators: Providing support for people who menstruate, such as access to healthcare and counseling services, can help them manage their periods and deal with any related health issues.
On the CogniFit podcast, we interview Grace Forsyth who is the founder of dais, a company on a mission to eliminate one-time use period and bladder leak products and empower people to feel seamlessly confident through their everyday lives. Through the social community, dais like this, they focus on educating menstruating people on their menstrual cycles to achieve more awareness and a heightened sense of well-being when it comes to womb health and awareness.
In this episode we will be discussing the depths and truths behind menstrual health.
We explore:
– The Taboos & myths around menstrual cycles
– Societal misconceptions
– The impact of hormone cycles on the brain
– Tools to build awareness and gain further insight of menstrual cycles
This podcast is brought to you by CogniFit & ICCH to help our communities learn how to alter the mind’s state of being through the pioneers of today’s mental health movement.
Menstrual health awareness is an essential aspect of overall health and wellbeing for people who menstruate. Lack of knowledge and awareness about menstrual health can lead to social stigma, discrimination, health problems, missed school and work, and limited opportunities. By educating young people, encouraging open discussions, providing access to menstrual products, advocating for menstrual health awareness, and providing support for menstruators, we can build menstrual health awareness in our communities and ensure that everyone can manage their periods safely and with dignity.
