High prices of menstrual pads can lead to vaginal infections among girls in school

Today being World Menstrual Hygiene Day, females, especially girl children are being educated on the importance of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is an essential aspect of hygiene for women and adolescent girls between menarche and menopause. Despite being an important issue concerning women and girls in the menstruating age group MHM is often overlooked in post-disaster responses.

In Ghana, MHM is often a problem for the girl child especially those in deprived areas due to the unavailability of menstrual pads and their expensive nature of it.

Madam Margareth Adu Sarkodie who is the Municipal SHEP Coordinator for the Effia Kwesimintsim Municipality (EKMA) indicated that the price of the menstrual pad has become very expensive which is now forcing them to use different materials which can be very dangerous to their health.

She said, “These days the price of the menstrual pads has become very expensive so most of our girls cannot afford them and they end up using different materials that can lead to vaginal infections.”

“We have now started educating them to use the reusable pads, for that one, after using it, you will wash, dry it in the sun and iron it and use it again.”

She said they have now started teaching the female pupils how to sow the reusable pads by themselves to help equip them to produce their own pads for their health and safety.

Madam Sarkodie also indicated they are collaborating with NGOs and other organisations to help make this exercise a possibility.