Foundation educates female students on menstrual hygiene, distributes pads

The Regalo Hope Foundation (RHF), a Non-Governmental Organisation, has advised female students to observe total hygiene particularly during mensuration period, to stay healthy.

Mrs Chineye Onuorah, Founder/Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos on Monday said mensuration should be properly managed as it is one of the indicators of the proper functioning of a woman’s reproductive system.

Consequently, to support menstrual hygiene, Onuorah said the foundation distributed sanitary pads to secondary schools in three public schools in Igando, Lagos State.

She listed the schools to include Igando Community Senior High School, Igando Junior Grammar School, and Akesan Community Junior Grammar School.

According to Onuorah, this will go a long way to create more awareness among students about the importance of menstrual hygiene and to brake the existing taboo surrounding women’s menstruation.

“The idea is to provide education to the female students regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene; this is most important because majority of them start menstruating in secondary schools.

“Menstruation is a natural process occurring in the reproductive system of women, which involves the monthly discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus lining through the vagina.

“The significance of menstrual hygiene involves maintaining the female physical health, promoting menstrual comfort, and enhancing their overall empowerment.

“We have provided with a demonstration the use of sanitary pads, including instructions on calculating their menstrual cycles and proper disposal of used pads using hygienic measures,” she told NAN.

The RHF CEO noted that menstrual cycles varied from person to person and even within an individual’s cycles.

“Factors such as stress, illness, travel, and hormonal changes can affect the length and regularity of the menstrual cycle”.

She further encouraged the students to track their cycles over several months to gain a better understanding of their unique patterns, and to promote positive self-affirmation, focusing on building confidence and self-esteem.

According to her, the organisation aims to dispel various myths surrounding menstruation.

“Such as considering it dirty or impure, believing that menstrual blood is harmful, associating emotional instability with menstruation, and endorsing secrecy around menstruation.

“Also, imposing restrictions on touching certain objects during menstruation, and associating menstruation with bad luck and negative energy,” she said.