91.7% women skip consultation for menstrual health due to lack of female doctors, Sulabh study reveals

Mumbai: The Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation in its new report on menstrual hygiene has highlighted the challenges faced by women due to issues surrounding menstruation, such as migration for work and relocation to sugarcane fields, brick kilns, mines, and factories.

The report finds that across India, girls are fearful of using school toilets during menstruation due to the poor quality of facilities, leading to absenteeism from school during their periods. Regarding access to medical services, 91.7 per cent of older women reported skipping consultations with doctors for menstruation-related health issues due to the lack of women doctors.

It also underscored the multi-sectoral nature of issues affecting women’s health, including the availability and affordability of menstrual hygiene products; access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure; efficient delivery of public schemes; education; social stigmas; and more.

The report, titled ‘Combating the Silence: From Menarche to Menopause’, is based on ethnographic data collected from menstruating women in the 20-49 age group across 14 districts in India.

Researchers specifically gathered data on menstrual challenges faced by both older and younger women.

The objective of the report is to leverage evidence-based knowledge to strengthen existing policies or inform new ones.

A chapter on Maharashtra, based on interviews in Beed and Dharashiv districts, discusses the significant percentages of women lacking biological awareness, low knowledge of exact health risks, and communication barriers to discussing menstrual health issues. It also highlights the issue of hysterectomies among migrating women workers.

Dr. Neelam Gorhe, Deputy Chairperson of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and founder-president of the Stree Aadhar Kendra, described the report as a clarion call for policymakers, grassroots organizations, and the public to come together to eliminate barriers to menstrual hygiene. “In the context of the specificity of women’s bodies and their secondary status in society, they repeatedly suffer whether with regard to menstruation, fertility, or menopause, culminating in a close relationship between health and reproductive rights. We need more conferences on these issues,” Dr. Gorhe said.

Other speakers included Dr. Vibhuti Patel, economist and former professor at TISS & SNDT Women’s University; Prof. M. Sivakami, professor at the Center for Health and Social Sciences, School of Health Systems Studies (SHSS), TISS; Vandana Georaikar, Deputy Collector, Slum Rehabilitation Authority; Kumar Dilip, President of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation; and Nirja Bhatnagar, National Director - Program and Advocacy, Sulabh International Social Service Organisation.