Apr 8, 2022
By: kritti.bhalla@timesinternet.in
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One in three women have confirmed that they had no knowledge about periods before their first menstruation, a survey by menstruation hygiene brand Avni has revealed. Meanwhile, another 35 percent had prior knowledge but it was very limited. Dealing with menstruation for the first time, and having no knowledge highlights the wide persistent gap in the society, Avni added.
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Nine in ten women said that their mother was the first person they reached out to discuss their first period. While 8.2 percent of women sought help from their friend first, the survey that included responses from 1000 women had revealed.
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Avni, founded in August 2020 in Thane, Maharashtra, is a young start-up focused on detoxifying menstrual care. The brand offers well-researched, innovative, tested products to facilitate women hygiene during periods.
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“The survey has brought a lot of existing concerns of the society related to menstruation. We are in 2022 and women are still advised isolation instead of care during their periods. More importantly, the majority of the women were left hung out to dry when they experienced their first menstruation when they had no clue about what their body was going through,” Sujata Pawar, cofounder of Avni, said.
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Three in ten women, or nearly 28 percent of respondents, also highlighted that they were put in isolation during their periods. While the rest 32.6 percent consciously made excuses to avoid admitting that they were menstruating.
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Some common misconceptions include — women on periods must avoid holy practices or even entering a holy place, must avoid touching pickle, should not workout, must not enter kitchen or touch common food items or common utensils, should not wash hair, must not have sex while menstruating, must not touch Tulsi plant or else it will die, the woman becomes impure during periods, and must avoid dairy products etc.
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Highlighting the physical challenges that women face beyond cramps during periods, around 50 percent of the women said they face skin challenges including rashes, and irritation using the regular chemical based sanitary pads. Around 49.9 percent of women tried over 3 different sanitary pad brands before settling for their current ones.
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Six in ten women tried organic cotton pads, while only two tried menstrual cups. Nearly 16.3 percent women respondents said that they tried antimicrobial reusable cloth based pads.
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Over 45.8 percent of the respondents expressed interest towards permanently switching to eco-friendly menstrual products.
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