Menstrual Health Expo: Period poverty not only health issue but human rights one – organisers

For many in Guyana, particularly in rural communities, conversations surrounding periods and menstrual hygiene and health are still taboo.
“For as long as I can remember, menstrual health [and] hygiene is a topic that is never discussed. Periods are shunned and considered untidy, and not a normal bodily process,” said Schmel Patrick of Guyana Girls’ Guide Association (GGGA).
“It’s culturally and socially ingrained into us that topics involving our ‘cycle’ should be kept hidden [or] private. But it is critical to have these conversations to know when problems arise and when medical attention is needed. If we don’t talk about it, we cannot be 100 per cent safe,” added Beaunce Atkinson, Niki Morgan and Arieanna Madray of The Ayvanna Foundation (TAF).
Period poverty, the TAF members explained, is not limited to just the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products but the lack of education surrounding periods and absence of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities.
“There are menstruators unaware of critical menstrual hygienic practices such as how long a menstrual product should be worn, how to properly dispose of them and the different menstrual products that are available to them. These are all topics that should be covered and helps that menstruator to properly deal with their menstrual cycle in a safe and hygienic way,” said Atikinson, Morgan and Madray.
The absence of these basic needs and information is a lapse in the health curriculum in schools and can potentially have adverse effects on individuals’ health, education and mental well-being.
Period poverty is thus not only a health issue but a human right one and as such requires active solutions to solve it, according to Dr Sara Scott, Joy Zammett and Lyndisha Joseph of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Adventures (SRHR-A).
As such, aiming to dismantle this stigma surrounding menstruation and promote more comprehensive menstrual health education, GGGA, TAF and SRHR-A alongside The Breadfruit Collective (TBC) and University of Guyana Female Empowerment Movement (UGFEM) hosted a Menstrual Health and Hygiene Expo on Saturday.

#WeAreCommited
Following this year’s theme for Menstrual Hygiene Day – to be celebrated on Sunday – “#WeAreCommited,” each organisation focused on different topics related to menstruation and menstrual hygiene and health through a panel discussion and information booths.
These included reproductive health, various types of menstrual products, reusable alternatives, menopause, collecting data on period menstruation in Guyana, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and local initiatives relating to period poverty in the country.
The event also included a variation of activities, games and giveaways to disseminate the information in a more interactive way.
“[We want] to expand the conversation on comprehensive sexual education that is often missed from our school curriculum, to meet people of all ages and talk about menstruation in hopes of breaking down stigma and creating equal access to products,” said TBC’s Christine Samwaroo and Afeefa Richardson.
This is not the first initiative that these five organisations have implemented to dispel misinformation surrounding menstruation and eliminate period poverty in Guyana.
UGFEM recently held an outreach within various high schools to educate girls on what to expect during their period and how to use menstrual products, as well as teach boys on how to approach or operate around a girl on her period.
Meanwhile, TBC hosts regular period drives where they donate products to places like Help and Shelter, St Ann’s Orphanage for Girls, Childlike, The Amerindian Hostel and the Night Shelter.
To women on maintaining their menstrual health, SRHR-A’s Scott, Zammett and Joseph advised women to embrace their flow and take the time to learn about it.
“Proper maintenance of your menstrual health and hygiene starts with knowing exactly how your menstrual experience is unique to you. Know the length of your period and cycle. Know the signs and symptoms of each phase. Know the accompanying emotions. Be conscious of what you take in (food and otherwise). Pay attention to your habits and practices, for example, how often you change your sanitary napkin. Just know yourself and the rest should come easy,” they said.