Menstruation should be discussed frankly with girls

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday stressed the need for open discussions on menstruation to make adolescent girls aware about it and to avert health hazards.
A lack of awareness and social taboo are the main reasons for different types of health complications occuring in young girls when they reach puberty. So, it needs to break the silence and discuss the issue elaborately, they said at the roundtable titled “Let us talk about menstruation” jointly, organised by the daily Prothom Alo at its office in cooperation with the WaterAid.
Besides raising awareness, it is very crucial to arrange separate toilet, soap, bin with a lid, and other necessary materials for women at all educational institutions and other public places. Coordinated efforts of both government and non-government organisations are necessary to make this happen, they said.
Meher Afroze Chumki, state minister for women and children affairs, said if awareness can be built among people about menstruation, it will surely minimise excessive medical cost of families. Leanne Unicomb, head of water, sanitation and hygiene research group of icddr,b, said most of the teenage girls use dirty cloths during menstruation, and even a half of the girls cannot go to schools during the period due to a lack of women-friendly infrastructure including washrooms.
Dilruba, additional secretary of the public administration ministry, said separate toilet facility for women is yet to be ensured in government offices. But the issue is now getting priority during the planning of different infrastructures.
Prothom Alo Associate Editor Abdul Quayum moderated the function, while officials of different government and non-government organisations also spoke.