Addressing Menstrual Health & Hygiene Practices in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

Santosh Kumar Mishra ()
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Santosh Kumar Mishra: (Ph.D.), Technical Assistant, Population Education Resource Centre (PERC), Department of Lifelong Learning and Extension, S. N. D. T. Women's University, Patkar Hall Building, First Floor, 1, Nathibai Thackersey Road Mumbai-400020, Maharashtra, India

Eastern-European Journal of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, 2020, vol. 4, issue 1, 32-54

Abstract: Menstruation is the natural bodily process of releasing blood and associated matter from the uterus through the vagina as part of the menstrual cycle. Menstrual health take into account both menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices and the broader interventions that link menstruation to health, wellbeing, gender, education, equality, empowerment and rights. Ensuring menstrual health & hygiene (MHH) practices in the face of COVID-19 health crisis gains increased significance in today’s world. In relation to MHM, several countries have reported that COVID-19 pandemic has worsened key challenges for women and adolescent girls who bleed due to several reasons. This research work aims to address strategies needed to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on MHH. Also, attempts have been made to investigate into considerations needed for ensuring MHH practices among women and girls with disabilities, and refugee and displaced people, as they are likely to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data (largely qualitative in nature) have been used in the work and nature of data analysis is descriptive. The paper concludes that there is need to ensure that MHH supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are in place for both menstruating women and girls, and health care workers in hospital settings offering both menstrual health and COVID-19 care and services.

Keywords: Menstrual Health; Hygiene; Reproductive Health; Women; COVID-19; Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM); Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH); Pandemic; Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH); Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 K1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:lum:eejmhb:v:4:y:2020:i:1:p:32-54

DOI: 10.18662/eejmhb/4.1/25

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