Every month approximately 1.8 billion people around the world menstruate but more than 500 million of them do not have access to sanitation necessary to face this natural physiological event in the best possible way and without health risks.
The reasons are different, from the taboos that still persist in many cultures and keep menstruating women away from home and social life in the days of the flow; to poverty related to the often too high costs of sanitary napkins and the like.
To these is obviously added warwhich making it difficult for the populations involved to find all kinds of basic necessities, it also hinders the supply of female hygiene devices.
The cycle, however, does not stop in front of the bombs and also in Ukraineas has happened in other conflicts, this emergency is getting bigger and bigger.
The stigma of menstruation that leads to not considering them a health priority
Cycle-related health issues are often considered Series B because of the social stigma that surrounds this issue and makes it difficult to talk about it.
Having your period while trying to survive the bombings or fleeing a country under attack is much more than an inconvenience and not saying it means that among the basic necessities that are provided to civilian populations, there are insufficient sanitary pads. A lack that entails the logical consequence that women have to make do as they canresorting to makeshift patches, gauze patches made up here and there, paper, scraps of mattresses or dirty clothes. In short, nothing that can guarantee a minimum level of hygiene.
This is also confirmed by a 2017 study by Global One, conducted on refugee camps in Syria and Lebanonwhich noted as 60% of refugees did not have access to underwear and a greater number could not find health products during their period. All this led to the use of garbage and rags as sanitary towels, and the consequent proliferation of vaginal or urinary tract infections, declared by more than half of the interviewees.
Source: Vanity Fair
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
