There are so many superstitions and taboos regarding menstruation, even in Hyderabad developed city so many working migrated people are from village areas are still practicing superstitions.
Some of the superstitions are:
- When first menstruation starts for a matured girl she should stay at home for 15 day, if she exposes to outside environment ghost will attack her.
- During period time if she touch any plants and vegetables or picking process before are during it would go bad.
- Not allowed to enter kitchen or cook food for anyone else.
- If you through pad outside without burn when crown touched your used pad it will curse you that you will be childless to entire life.
- Touching tulsi tree also consider as curse.
- If she touches the flowers as that plants will die immediately.
For all these beliefs there is scientifically strong reasons behind it.
- As methods above during first menstrual time they should not expose outside environment, but the outside reasons during starting time they feel uncomfortable, so that they need to take rest and nutrition food and iron rich foods.
- Touching trees, vegetables, pickles does not effect to girl, so that parents need to understand it just taboo.
- If we through pad outside without burn snacks will not curse us, but the actual reason is use pad is that, if we through outside it will decompose into soil or water pollution. to reduce the pollution and infections we have to follow burning pad is safe hygiene practice this are no superstitions.
- And another myth that, don’t enter into the kitchen is the strong reason behind it women in older days is so many household worker and daily labor worker, they used to take 3 to 4 days rest in that particular period time, so that there is no superstition to entering into the kitchen.
Parents need to understand menstruation is natural part of reproductive cycle in which blood from the uterus exist through the vagina, it is a natural process that occur the age if 11 to 14 years.
Menstrual hygiene management and proper awareness on superstitions need to be give to parents and students.
Best regards,
Radhika. K
Social Mobilizer
Room To Read India Trust.