Health Risks Posed By Poor Menstrual Hygiene

Maintaining healthy menstrual hygiene is of paramount importance to a woman's general well-being, comfort and health. The United Nations defines menstrual hygiene management as the use of clean menstrual hygiene management products to soak menstrual discharge by women that are changeable in privacy as required, with proper access to water, soap and disposal methods. Menstrual hygiene products are the products used to catch menstrual flow, such as pads, cloths, tampons and menstrual cups. 

Lack of access to feminine hygiene products (often caused by poverty) compels some women to use unhealthy menstrual hygiene products. Poor menstrual hygiene threatens a woman's health by exposing her to bacterial vaginosis, fungal infections, urinary tract infections, infertility and others.

A woman's risk of getting cervical cancer also increases if she is repeatedly exposed to reproductive tract infections and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Contracting UTIs is possible when a woman wears a pad or a tampon for long without changing (more than six to eight hours).

It is important that a woman uses well covered and preserved menstrual hygiene products as contaminated products can alter the pH of the vaginal region. The resultant effect is a change in the vaginal microflora, hence increasing the risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV). Vulvovaginal candidiasis (a yeast infection) can also be caused by poor menstrual hygiene and the use of non-breathable panty liners and pads. 

Women ought to wash their hands after changing their menstrual hygiene products like pads and tampons. It is also important to wash the vagina and labia with clean water before changing into a new pad or tampon. Women should avoid douching, and wash the vagina with water only. Soap and water can be used on the vulva.

An excessively wet pad can harbor microorganisms and cause infection. This, in turn, can cause UTIs and vaginal infections. If tampons are left inserted for too long, they can cause toxic shock syndrome, in which the bacteria infiltrates the body, leading to severe infection that can send the body into shock. Genital infections caused by poor menstrual hygiene can lead to infertility.

Unprotected sex during periods is also unadvisable as it increases a woman's chances of contracting infections.

Maintaining proper menstrual hygiene is easy, so women worldwide should pick on these healthy habits for their safety and comfort during and after menstruation.