Today, May 28th, is recognized globally as World Menstrual Hygiene Day. This day is designated to raise awareness about menstruation, promote women’s health and well-being, and break the taboo surrounding menstruation. It is observed worldwide that menstruation remains a stigmatized issue among women and girls in Afghanistan, exposing them to health risks due to a lack of awareness and access to menstrual hygiene.
Many educated women consider normalization and public awareness about menstruation as essential in Afghan traditional society. They assert that a significant number of girls, especially in remote provinces, face numerous challenges due to a lack of knowledge about menstruation, considering it shameful and unpleasant.
Some healthcare professionals emphasize that menstruation is a natural and vital aspect of women’s reproductive health. However, due to insufficient knowledge of menstrual hygiene in Afghanistan, women and girls suffer from various illnesses, with few seeking consultation and treatment from doctors in case of irregular menstruation.
Sharifa, one of the educated individuals, regards menstruation normalization in Afghan society as a necessity. She emphasizes the need to increase public awareness to dispel misconceptions that harm women and girls. She states, “Unfortunately, erroneous beliefs and traditions in Afghanistan, even among women, lead to a lack of sufficient knowledge among girls reaching puberty about menstruation, forcing them to conceal it due to shame. The physical and emotional pain they endure makes many girls deeply despondent, and due to considering it repulsive, they loathe themselves.”
According to Sharifa, the taboo surrounding menstruation forces girls and women to continue their daily activities instead of resting and caring for themselves during menstruation. She says, “It’s a common issue for women and girls during menstruation to experience not only severe physical pain but also mental pressure, making them irritable and impatient. Women need to be treated with compassion during this time, but in our society, not only is there a lack of compassion, but due to the shame and disgrace associated with it, girls cannot express their pain and continue their work at home or in organizations under the harshest conditions.”
Masooma, a female student, also states that the shame and stigma associated with menstruation lead girls to conceal this issue even within their homes, unable to express the pain they endured during this time. She says, “Many girls, due to the severe pain they experience during menstruation, are forced to use pain-relief medications, which also have side effects, to prevent their family members from becoming aware. At the same time, they are compelled to carry out household chores and pretend as if nothing has happened to them.”
Fa’eeza, another educated girl, also emphasizes the necessity of normalizing and raising awareness about menstruation in Afghan society. She states that the menstruation period is a natural phenomenon, but false beliefs of people have made it shameful and abhorrent. These misconceptions have led girls reaching puberty and experiencing menstruation to endure psychological pressures, becoming depressed and withdrawn.
She also mentions that the taboo surrounding menstruation has even created difficulties for girls in obtaining sanitary pads.
First Bitter Experience of Girls with Menstruation
Some girls describe their first experience with menstruation as painful due to a prior lack of awareness and societal stigma, even among women and girls. They recount feelings of anxiety, fear, shame, psychological pressure, and self-loathing accompanying their first menstruation, which they struggled to cope with for a long time.
Mobina says, “I was so scared. I kept wondering why I was bleeding and if something was wrong with me. I felt so ashamed and couldn’t tell my mother. I didn’t know I should use sanitary pads, so I had to wear several layers of pants to hide it. When my mother found out, she always insisted that no one should know, and I shouldn’t complain too much or say my stomach hurts, it’s shameful. This made me hate myself.”
Nasiba also recalls her first menstruation with distress, saying, “I have a bad memory of my first period. When I got my period for the first time, I was very scared and confused about what was happening to me. At that time, there were no sanitary pads, and I didn’t even know how to use cloth for it. I think my mother didn’t find out for a month or two. I felt embarrassed. For the first few years, I didn’t have any pain, and then gradually menstrual pain started. During that time, I became very withdrawn and depressed.”
Another girl shares her experience with her first menstruation and its hardships: “When I got sick, I had a lot of pain. I didn’t know what to do. Everything was dirty. I changed my pants every five minutes. I couldn’t sleep at night and kept changing my pants repeatedly until morning. I didn’t know if I should use pads or cloth. I had a lot of back pain, sometimes I thought maybe I was pregnant because my mother used to complain of back pain during pregnancy.”
However, despite having prior knowledge, some girls hesitated to talk about it, considering it a shameful subject.
Tamanna says, “My first experience with menstruation was at the age of thirteen. Although I had prior knowledge, I was still stressed. I felt ashamed and couldn’t tell anyone. We had a medical book at home with general information, and I read it. Since the content of the book was not suitable for children, I wasn’t allowed to read it. When my mother saw me reading the book, she asked why I was reading it, and I had to tell her the reason. Overall, I felt very embarrassed. I don’t know why, maybe because of society and wrong traditions. For many years, I secretly broke my fast during Ramadan from the male family members. I didn’t want them to know because I felt ashamed.”
Girls’ Afflictions Due to Lack of Menstrual Health Awareness
Some midwives in the country state that menstruation is a natural cycle experienced by girls after reaching puberty. According to them, the normal menstrual cycle ranges from 26 to 35 days, during which women and girls bleed for five to 10 days. However, misconceptions among people about this normal occurrence have prevented girls from discussing the problems they face during this period. The lack of access to menstrual health increases their risk of developing illnesses such as PID or infertility, fungal and bacterial infections, urinary tract infections, toxic shock syndrome, hormonal imbalances, and skin inflammations.
Najia Rostami, one of the midwives, says, “Menstruation at the age of 12 to 16 is normal. If proper health precautions are not taken, PID develops. When PID progresses, it leads to cysts. If left untreated, it can lead to disability or infertility, unfortunately, most of our patients are girls over the age of eighteen and their cysts are advanced because they hesitate to consult doctors due to shame about this issue.”
Hassina Noori, another midwife, also emphasizes the importance of personal hygiene, regular changing of sanitary products, and consulting a doctor in case of any problems or unusual symptoms during menstruation. Unfortunately, due to the taboo surrounding menstruation, the majority of women and girls pay no attention to these issues. She says, “Based on scientific evidence and available information, many health problems that arise due to neglecting menstrual hygiene and reported by doctors and health specialists include fungal and bacterial infections, urinary tract infections, toxic shock syndrome, hormonal imbalances, and skin inflammations, each of which has various causes and dangerous consequences, and most of our patients suffer from this area.”
These doctors urge families in Afghanistan to support their daughters during menstruation by creating an open and supportive environment to help them experience this period calmly and without stress. Families should educate their daughters that menstruation is a natural part of their growth and health. Families should also educate their sons about menstruation to ensure they have appropriate sensitivity and understanding of this matter.
You can read the Persian version of this daily report here:
