Why Does Menstrual Health in India Demand Urgent Attention in 2025?
It’s ironic to live in a world where men buy cigarettes without hesitation, but sanitary pads are still taboo. The one that gives birth is the one whose life remains a constant threat.
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In a country with 355 million menstruating women, only 36 percent use sanitary pads. The rest are forced to find alternatives, including old rags, leaves, husks, ash, and even mud—materials that pose severe health risks. This stark reality underscores a crisis of menstrual health and hygiene in India, exacerbated by cultural taboos, a lack of education, and inadequate access to essential resources.
Menstruation, a natural biological process, remains shrouded in silence and stigma. The pain a woman suffers is not just restricted to monthly cramps and bleeding but also to navigating a world that views this natural process as “dirty” or “impure.” These perceptions lead to restrictions and ostracisation, particularly in rural areas, where myths and taboos dominate.
The Shame in Silence
A period is more than a sign of physical maturity; rather, it comes with a lock on our mouths that makes us avoid talking about periods when our father or brother is in the room. This idea is engraved into the minds of the majority of girls and women in India as an unsaid rule.
“Even in schools, whether urban or rural, girls are expected to discreetly ask a friend for a sanitary pad, hiding it under their clothes, and a stain is associated with disgrace and embarrassment,” says Christ University student Radhika Shankar.
The shame that follows is enough to make many girls miss school altogether. Indeed, 23 million girls in India drop out of school annually after they begin menstruating, often due to a lack of access to sanitary products and clean toilets. The shame surrounding periods also extends to homes. Many young girls are unprepared for menstruation, as conversations about periods are often avoided by parents. A study found that 71 percent of Indian adolescent girls were unaware of menstruation until their first period.
Sanitary Pads: A Luxury or a Need?
For millions of families, the cost of menstrual hygiene products is prohibitively high. In rural areas, a family earns approximately₹100 per day, while a common Indian woman needs approximately₹300 monthly for pads—an unattainable expense for low-income households. While the government removed a 12 percent tax on sanitary products in 2018 after widespread protests, the lack of affordability persists.
The COVID-19 pandemic made matters worse. Supply chain disruptions meant that even those who could afford sanitary products faced shortages. In rural areas, where resources were already scarce, the crisis hit harder, leaving women to rely on unsafe alternatives.
Dr. Taruna Anand, who spoke to the Utkarsha Foundation in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj slums, notes, “Many women have come to us with severe health issues related to poor menstrual hygiene. We are distributing sanitary pads and educating them on their proper use, but much more needs to be done.”
Health Consequences
An estimated 70 percent of reproductive diseases in India are linked to inadequate menstrual health practices. Using unclean rags or other unsafe materials increases the risk of infections, while the lack of access to toilets affects hygiene significantly.
Dr. Poonam Srivastava says, “Many women around the world face this reality every month. And this is pretty sad for a developing nation because they’re forced to use things like old clothes, leaves, or even ash. This isn’t just uncomfortable; it’s dangerous. Also, it can lead to serious infections and long-term health issues, which could even impact their fertility. That’s why talking about menstrual health and ensuring access to safe products is so important—it’s about basic human rights.”
Media and Government: Breaking the Taboo
Popular media has played a role in sparking conversations. Films like Padman and the Oscar-winning documentary Period. End of Sentence. have started breaking down taboos. But these representations are just the beginning. “There is still a significant gap between the social reality of menstruation and its cinematic portrayal. This gap continues to perpetuate stigma,” says Dr. Krishnapriya TK, a media and development communication professor at Christ University.
The Indian government has implemented various schemes, like the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme under the National Rural Health Mission and the Swachh Bharat Mission, to improve menstrual hygiene awareness and access to sanitary products in rural areas. These initiatives aim to provide subsidised sanitary napkins, construct sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators in schools and public places, and promote awareness campaigns.
“Just having slogans like Beti Padhao is not enough. They also have to look at the social reality as to why girl children are not attending schools—issues like the menstruation taboo need to be solved at a grassroots level, changing the mindset of people,” says Dr. Indumathi S, a media and gender studies professor at Christ University.
Not a Woman’s Issue
Menstrual health is not a women’s issue; it is a human issue. The journey toward change requires collective action from both men and women. Sex and menstrual hygiene education could be made compulsory for schoolchildren to prepare girls for menstruation. At the same time, governments can take inspiration from the Karnataka Health Department, which provides free sanitary napkins to around 19 lakh girls (aged 10 to 18 years) in government and aided schools and colleges across the state. Another solution could be the compulsory installation of sanitary pad vending machines in schools and public spaces while running awareness campaigns at both grassroots and national levels. These are not luxuries; they are necessities.
She bleeds every month, and yet her menstrual blood is labelled impure, disgusting, and shameful. This same process creates life, perpetuating the very norms that dismiss her.
When will we break this cycle?
If not you, who?
If not now, when?
About Author:
Silvia Sachdev is a dedicated student of Bachelor of Media and Journalism (Honours) at Christ University, Bangalore. She is committed to social impact. Silvia volunteers with the Centre for Social Action, teaching underprivileged children and creating media content.
Also Read: From Silence to Solutions: Why Menstrual Health Deserves Attention
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