Menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) involves managing menstruation with safe, accesible products, privacy and proper facilities. MMH is crucial for preventing infections (like UTIs), bacterial vaginosis, and even potential infertility or cervical cancer. Furthermore it helps reduce stigma and support overall well-being.
Key practices of Menstrual Hygiene include regular changes (pads/tampons every 4-8 hrs; cups 8-12 hrs), thorough handwashing before/after use, using suitable products (pads, tampons, cups, period underwear), proper disposal (wrap and trash, don’t flush), and choosing breathable clothing. Good hygiene prevents infections, reduces discomfort, and supports dignity, while lack of access creates health and social barriers.
Essential Practices for Menstrual Hygiene:
Maintaining good hygiene during menstruation is critical to preventing Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and reproductive tract infections.
- Product Management:
- Sanitary Pads: Change every 4 to 8 hours, even on light flow days.
- Tampons: Change every 4 to 8 hours; never wear one for more than 8 hours due to the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome.
- Menstrual Cups/Discs: Empty every 6 to 12 hours. Sanitize cups after each cycle by boiling them for 1–2 minutes.
- Cleaning and Care:
- Wash hands before and after changing any menstrual product.
- External cleaning only: Use only water or mild, unscented soap to rinse the vulva. The vagina is self-cleaning; avoid douching or scented products, which disrupt pH and cause infections.
- Wiping direction: Always wipe from front to back to prevent bacteria from the anus from entering the vagina.
“As of 2026, menstrual health remains a significant barrier to equality and health globally.”
- Education: 1 in 10 adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during her period. Globally, only 2 out of 5 schools provide menstrual health education.
- Period Poverty: Approximately 500 million people lack access to basic menstrual products and adequate facilities.
- Facility Gaps: Less than 1 in 3 schools globally have bins for menstrual waste in girls’ toilets
“Recent international efforts have shifted from viewing menstruation as a “hygiene” issue to a fundamental human right.”
- Menstrual Hygiene Day: Observed annually on May 28th to raise awareness and break taboos.
- Legislative Action: Countries like Scotland provide free period products for all residents, while others like Kenya provide them in public schools.
- UN Resolution (2024): A landmark UN resolution adopted in 2024 specifically calls for universal access to affordable products and the elimination of taxes on menstrual items.
Vaginal Douching
Vaginal douching is a commonly used method to wash out the vagina with water or a mixture of water and soap, Dettol or other solutions.
Douches that are sold in drugstores and markets contain antiseptics and fragrances.
Besides making them feel fresher, women say they douche to get rid of unpleasant odors, wash away menstrual blood after their period, avoid getting sexually transmitted diseases and prevent a pregnancy after intercourse.
However, health experts say douching is not effective for any of these purposes. On the contrary, it can actually increase the risk of infections, pregnancy complications and other health problems.
Regular vaginal douching changes the delicate balance of vaginal flora (organisms that live in the vagina) and acidity in a healthy vagina. These changes can cause overgrowth of bad bacteria which can lead to infection. Douching itself can push existing infections further up into the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Possible effects of vaginal douching include:
- Vaginal infection (bacterial vaginosis) which can increase the risk of preterm labor and endometriosis
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) An infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes and/or ovaries
- Pregnancy complications Women who douche more than once a week have more difficulty getting pregnant than those who don’t. Douching may also increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb) by as much as 76%.
- Cervical cancer Douching at least once a week has been linked to a possible increased chance of developing cervical cancer.
Several Projects in the Gambia currently are addressing this topic: Girl’s Pride & Gampads
Vaginal Tobacco or Herbs
Tobacco is an umbrella name given to over 70 species of plants in the genus nicotiana and the family Solanaceae. It is used to refer to the cured leaves of these plants.
The active ingredients in tobacco are nicotine and harmine, a beta-carboline and a harmala alkaloid that occurs in several different plants. The nicotine component in tobacco makes it addictive to its users.
While a lot of people know that tobacco leaves are mainly smoked in cigarettes, cigars, shisha, chewed or taken as snuff, little is known about tobacco as a sexual stimulant in Africa. Of particular interest is vaginal tobacco, the practice of using tobacco leaves on the vagina, with unproven claims that it improves sensation during intimacy, increases fertility, and tightens the vagina.
There are reports of wide use of tobacco for this purpose by women in the Gambia and Senegal. Medical research shows that inserting anything in the vagina increases the risk of vaginal infection. There is a high risk of systemic absorption of the chemical constituents of tobacco into the blood stream causing damage to other parts of the body. Exposing the genitals to tobacco smoke may also cause ectopic pregnancies and negatively impact fertility.