By Kate Halim
For some women and girls in Nigeria, having adequate access to menstrual products such as sanitary pads and tampons is a luxury they cannot afford.
To them, having a roof over their heads and eating at least two square meals a day is more essential than spending a lot of money buying sanitary products throughout the year. As a result, many have devised a means of resorting to some – mostly unhygienic alternatives.
Alternatives some women and girls resort to
Deborah Udoh is a 14-year-old girl who lives with her relatives in Coker area of Lagos State. She told Saturday Sun that since she started seeing her period last year, she has been using tissue paper for her flow, noting that sanitary pads are a luxury.
“My aunt and uncle don’t have money to buy me sanitary pads. Since we are struggling to eat, I don’t use pads. I use clean towels for my period. My aunt taught me how to fold them and place them properly in my body whenever my period comes,” she said.
For Mrs. Onyinye Okolie, the story is the same. The mother of three girls who lost her job earlier this year said that to cut costs, she and her girls have resorted to using clean wrappers during their periods.
She said: “It is only when you have enough to eat that you can talk about spending money on pads. My three teenage daughters and I use wrapper for our periods. I cut them into smaller pieces for use. We wash and sun-dry after each use. I can’t afford to buy pads for us now because doing that will drain me financially. We are hoping that things will get better but for now, we are using what we can afford and observing proper hygiene at the same time.’’
Twenty four-year-old Stella Omolola has been using reusable sanitary pads for over two years now. She recalled that at first, it was difficult for her to get used to the idea but now, she has made peace with her situation.
“Initially, I was using menstrual cups because they were not expensive and you can use them repeatedly, but suddenly, they started making me uncomfortable, so I switched to reusable pads. I have expenses to take care of and I can’t afford to spend N2000 every month to buy sanitary pads because I usually have a heavy flow and change pads often,” she said.
Fifteen -year-old Jennifer Akpabio is a student of Aguda Grammar School. She told Saturday Sun that she was using a sanitary pad made by a particular brand in the past, not because it was good but because it was cheaper than some popular ones pad. She added that even though the pad leaves her stained in most cases because it doesn’t absorb heavy flow or stick to her underwear like the other pricey brand, it served its purpose.
“But because that particular cheap doesn’t stay glued to my panties during my period, I get stained. So I make sure I don’t do strenuous activities at school during my period so that my mates won’t laugh at me if I’m stained,” disclosed Akpabio.
Akpabio stated that lately, she has been using tissue for her period flow because her parents could no longer afford to buy her and her younger sister sanitary pads. “I read online that using tissue during your period has health implications. Even though it scares me to read that, I don’t have a choice but to use tissue during my monthly period. I hope and pray that I’m okay until I can afford to buy pads,”
At 16, Faith Ikejiaku said she uses cotton wool during her period. In her words, she rolls the cotton wool into a big ball and inserts it into her body. She added that since she doesn’t have a heavy flow like her sisters, it helps her mother spend less on pads.
“I started seeing my period four years ago. The first time my period came, my mother sat me down and educated me about taking care of myself as well as the implications of me having unprotected sex. My parents are not rich so using sanitary pads is new to me. I have always used tissue or cotton wool during my monthly flow,” she said.
Ikejiaku loves to play football but she confessed that most times, she skips practice during her period because she doesn’t want to mess herself up before her peers. The teenager, who wants to be a great footballer in future, said that she doesn’t like the fact that she uses tissue paper during that time of the month because it gets soiled faster. She noted, however, that she doesn’t have a choice but to use it.
“I won’t forget the day I got stained in school last year. I couldn’t change the tissue on time because we had classes and after school, I got up to leave but one of my classmates quickly rushed to tell me that I was stained. I had to sit back down. One of my friends gave me her sweater to cover my stained uniform and that was how I got home without shame. I don’t like using cotton wool most times because I am scared it might get trapped inside my body,” she added.
Millions lack access to menstrual hygiene products
Even though period poverty is a global problem, it is more prevalent in poor countries.
According to a 2018 World Bank report, at least 500 million women worldwide lack adequate access to menstrual hygiene products.
In Nigeria, over 37 million women and girls of reproductive age lack access to menstrual hygiene products due to a lack of funds as of 2021, according to reports.
A pack of eight sanitary pads costs between N600 and N2,000, and based on the menstrual flow, women may use more than one packet for a month. But because of poverty, many families cannot afford such monthly expenses.
Health implications
A gynaecologist, Folashade Peters told Saturday Sun that unsafe period practices can lead to several health challenges, including infections of the urinary tract and other reproductive organs. She added that in severe cases, it could lead to infertility.
Peters highlighted some of the negative health implications of using unsafe products while menstruating, stating that using the wrong products or not observing proper hygiene at that time of the month can cause serious health consequences for women and girls.
She said: “The menstrual period is a time when the cavity of the uterus is exposed because of the outflow of the menses and some organisms can breed bacteria. Some of these products may cause direct injuries to the vulva. In addition, the vulva has a direct connection to the uterine cavity, so there could be an infection,” she said.
Dr. Gabriel Omonaiye said that women and girls who use tissue paper or clothes during their period engage in these practices due to poverty or ignorance. According to him, using these items could lead to leakage of blood and attendant embarrassment that comes with stained clothes.
“Clothes, towels and tissue paper could shift, thus defeating the purpose of using them in the first place. Also, infection of the reproductive tract such as urinary tract infection can easily be contracted while using these unhygienic materials,”
Omonaiye stated that ascending infection from the vagina into the fallopian tubes (salpingitis) if not properly treated could lead to ectopic pregnancy and also infertility in the long run. He noted that the main problem with tissue is that it can break off pieces and ascend up there.
According to Omonaiye, sometimes it may be chronic infections that may not give serious symptoms to warrant going to the hospital, but it is indirectly damaging the reproductive system or that pathway.
“Repeated infections can lead to bigger complications, mostly scarring and adhesions that can cause fertility problems like blocked tubes. It can also cause toxic shock and sepsis too,” he said.
NGOS to the rescue
The Sanitary Aid Initiative was established in January 2017 to address the needs of over 65 per cent of the Nigerian female population who do not have access to sanitary pads. The organisation aims to provide free sanitary pads and other sanitary products including soaps, wipes, toilet bags, disinfectants, clean underwear etc. to girls from low-income families across public schools in Nigeria and girls in Internally Displaced Persons Camps across the country.
Through donations from individuals and partners, the organisation said it has provided over 20,000 girls and young women across 13 states in Nigeria with sanitary hygiene products with over 70 per cent of these women and girls benefiting from reusable and sustainable sanitary pads.
Ashley Lori is the founder of Padup Africa, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to distributing free pads to girls. She said that every girl-child deserves to have access to sanitary pads and menstrual hygiene products. According to her, access to menstrual hygiene products creates a balanced society.
Lori said: “A girl that cannot have access to sanitary pads or menstrual hygiene products cannot achieve her potential, and we can’t have a balanced society without giving equal opportunity to boys and girls to excel at school.”