Murang’a county health officials have called for concerted efforts towards demystifying myths surrounding menstruation by involving all members of society to create a period friendly environment as they marked World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Speaking at Koimbi Primary School in Kahuro, the county reproductive health coordinator, Caroline Macharia, underscored the importance of sensitising the community about observing menstrual hygiene among women of reproductive age in order to reduce the stigma associated with menstruation.
She noted that it is important to include boys and men in the menstrual hygiene talks so that they can understand menstruation and know how to assist or support girls and women in observing menstrual hygiene.
“It is important to involve all members of the society including boys and men in the sensitization as a way of reducing stigma and demystifying misconceptions surrounding menstruation,” Macharia stated.
The reproductive health coordinator said that the Ministry of Health conducts routine education in schools through the community health promoters.
“We teach the girls about self-awareness and self-diagnosis so that they can understand what menstruation is,” She said,
“We also teach about self-management of periods, how to maintain hygiene and when to seek help by visiting a healthcare facility,” she added.
One of the parents, Anne Wacuka, expressed gratitude for the donations of sanitary pads saying that they would go a long way in keeping girls in school.
“The donations today are a huge relief for the parents and the girls as well,” she observed.
She urged all members of the society to end the stigma surrounding menstruation so that girls and women can get the assistance they need to observe menstrual hygiene.
Kahuro Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer, Dr Edna Gisare, called upon members of the community to support girls and uphold their dignity during menstruation.
“Let there be open dialogue around menstruation to enhance menstrual health hygiene among our girls,” Gisare said.
The head teacher of Koimbi primary school, Mercy Jomo, thanked the government and the various stakeholders for the concerted efforts towards menstrual hygiene.
However, she observed that there was still a lot to do in the fight against period poverty as some girls were still missing school during their periods.
“Every month we have about 15 girls missing school because of periods which should not be happening,” Jomo noted.
She observed the importance of continued sensitization involving all members of the community in order to foster a period-friendly environment for girls and women.
World Menstrual Hygiene Day in Murang’a was marked on May 28 at Koimbi primary school in Wangu ward under the theme together for a period friendly world.
Oh her part, Dr Eunice Karanja of Aids Healthcare Foundation Kenya, (AHF) one of the partners in menstrual hygiene affirmed AHFs commitment towards the school health program where they aim to dignify both boys and girls so as to cater for their education.
“Our message to all of us as stakeholders in the country is to normalise periods as a normal bodily occurrence for every girl and woman and should not be shamed,” she said.
“We want to end period poverty as girls sometimes lack money to buy sanitary towels and end up using unclean products,” she said.
She called upon all members of the community to end the stigma that is associated with menstruation for both girls and women.
By Purity Mugo
