Menarche a unique experience

Long years back when I was a Kid, may be prior to my teens in a chilled winter early morning my mother woke me up and asked to go to WASH room and take a head bath. I was so surprised of her behavior, thought being my mother how can She be so ruthless. Why such punishment? I resent but in vain. As both my parents were working and were placed in different place, in annoyance I told her let my father come this time I will tell him of your brutal behavior towards me. I had no idea what is happening with my body and why I was bleeding. A girl who was over enthusiastic to take her bicycle and rush to attend school every working days was asked to remain at home for 3 days.   I was told, you have grown up now.  I was shocked, how can someone become grown up in a day of difference? This was my menarche experience. I was lucky that my mother was not that strict on taboos in my successive menstruation. Only restraint was of touching God and visit to temples. It was different that how much even I obeyed that taboo 😊

Menstruation which is a natural physiological process in the reproductive cycle of a girl is factored with so many taboos, fallacies. Proscription on food, free movement, confinement at home in a room, even not allowed to enter kitchen, free choice of attire (not allowed to wear certain colored dresses), restriction in mingling with cousins, friends of the opposite sex, social exclusion, in certain culture practice of observing the event with a great ostentatious display by calling relatives, friends, neighbors, perhaps to show that girl is ready for marriage. Many believe women are impure those menstruating days, they are not allowed to touch bed, plants, certain food item, and reason that their touch would spoil things. People strongly believe that menstrual blood is impure, that comes out of women body. 

Menstruation is rarely a conversation subject, especially in front of males even if, he is a father, brother, a good friend. Mothers also hesitate and feel embarrassed to talk on this with their adolescent girls as it has connection with sex and reproduction. Many Girls are not that lucky as I was, whose father used to get sanitary napkins of her choice, used to discuss my cramp problems, used to do massage to comfort me, get medicine for me, with whom I used to discuss openly on my embarrassment on blood strain, asked him to check if my dress in back is alright.   
   

Cultural practices and taboos around menstruation makes women life difficult. Many of such prohibitions reinforce gender discrimination and exclusion.  Many prevailing taboos make the menstrual hygiene more difficult, certain practices creates challenges for maintaining menstrual hygiene.

A girl facing a physiological change, even sometimes the emotional mood changes due to changing hormones, needs to be dealt with empathy and not by banishment. She needs support to deal the change in life. She needs to know what is happening in her body, which is a natural, normal process nothing offending, nothing embarrassing. Many prevailing taboos makes a girl life difficult and limit their freedom. Strongly believe solution is to break the silence, speak openly on menstruation, how important is to maintain hygiene, menstrual blood is not impure, the milk that we (hindus) consider pure and pour on Lord Shiva, use for many religious practices get soiled with the growth of bacteria in it, so as any blood, Menstrual blood stinks as soon as bacteria grows. It’s important to critically think on the practices unlike just adopting and making children’s life hell. Dealing menstruation is not just knowing the physiology, science of hygiene but more of a life skill to deal with such glitches of life.