Activists want govt to promote menstrual cups

While the programme was launched by the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2011, activists suggest that the distribution is not proper as many schools are not covered. “In one of our surveys, we found that many schools in South Tamil Nadu were not receiving the napkins.

Also, during one of our seminars, a girl from Thanjavur said that the quality of the napkins being distributed was very poor,” said Govind Murugan, convener, Dhagam Foundation.

While sanitary napkins are not only expensive, but also harmful to the environment, the possibility of distributing menstrual cups could be considered, activists suggested. “It would make the work easier for the government and the Anganwadi workers by reducing the load of monitoring the distribution of the napkins each month,” said Ramya Mohan, an activist.

Meanwhile a government official said, “With the aim of ensuring that women live healthy and productive lives, with dignity, the PMH programme was launched with menstrual hygiene as a priority. With the lack of menstrual hygiene seen in many areas, there is complete neglect of menstrual hygiene due to low awareness levels and lack of access to sanitary products.” According to Pooja Kumar, an environmental activist, “Environmentally, it makes more sense to use the cups, as sanitary napkins are not made with cloth or anything biodegradable.

A lot of plastic goes into making one napkin, which is not biodegradable. On an average, one woman produces more than 500 to 600 kgs of sanitary waste in a lifetime of menstruating – roughly about 30 years. While the napkins cannot be recycled, the use of bleach and other chemicals that go into the making of napkins also have terrible side effects on the women who use it.” She further added, “The silicon cup makes so much more sense as one cup lasts a woman around seven years. It is completely reusable. The cup is made using bodyguard silicon, which is the same material used to make breast implants.

Also, the cups do not absorb the vaginal fluids that are required for the health of the vagina, while tampons and pads absorb them.”

Women seem to lack awareness on the how hygienic the cup really is. They fear that as the same cup is used for years, hygiene is compromised, said Manini Y, a resident of Nungambakam, who has been using the cup.

Due to the poor distribution of the napkins, alongside the poor quality of the said pads, the Dhagam Foundation filed an RTI around 20 days ago and is awaiting a response. “We are talking to women in schools and colleges about the positives of the menstrual cup, however, we have seen that women are apprehensive to the fact that it has to be inserted,” added Govind.