Crimson Tide, the Red Devil, Menstruation Nation; whatever the name, periods are an uphill battle. But progressivism in India has approached periods, turning the negative and unholy stigma on itself. With Kerala being India’s first state to adopt organic sanitary napkins, eco-conscious Hyderabad could be a close large-scale follower on this scheme.
Know your napkins
Hyderabad-based gynaecologist Dr Kavitha Naragoni explains the practicality regarding eco-friendly pads, explaining the under-discussed effects of pads explaining that it can be difficult to maintain consistent sterility in washable pads, which are made from highly absorbent materials such as cotton flannel or hemp. This absorbency-factor makes the pads more comfortable for irritation-prone women.
Dr Kavitha explains, “Menstrual blood on napkins stagnates for longer duration, thus allowing pathogens to thrive in it. Stagnant menstrual blood accumulates a lot of bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , which rapidly multiply at an exponential rate. The red blood cells in the menstrual blood nourish the bacteria and emit a foul odour when they die. Heaps of sanitary napkins with a large amount of disease causing bacteria on them pose a significant threat to the hygiene in the surrounding areas. Additionally, synthetics and plastic also restrict the free-flow of air and can trap heat and dampness, potentially promoting the growth of yeast and bacteria in the vaginal area Tampons can react with bacteria in the body to create the ideal environment for bacteria to flourish, triggering the potentially fatal Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).”
Chandra Shekar Sharma at a conference
Last year, IIT Hyderabad’s Professor Chandra Shekar Sharma developed a superabsorbent polymer (SAPs) that was integrated into pads, Chandra Shekar shares, “As per our lab scale studies, we have successfully demonstrated that if we use cellulose acetate nanofibres based sanitary napkins, we may replace non-biodegradable petroleum-based superabsorbent polymers which are currently added in commercial sanitary pads to enhance the absorbency. However with the use of nanofibres, we achieve higher surface area and porosity, which is useful to achieve even higher absorbency than commercial product and that too without use of these SAPs. Apart from environmental concerns associated with disposal of sanitary pads after use due to the presence of these non-biodegradable SAPs, there are valid health hazards also with the prolonged exposure of SAPs to the users. In fact, that is the reason that use of SAPs was banned in other feminine hygiene products like tampon long back in USA, in early 90s.”
The project was met with a lot of optimism, having garnered plenty of press and public attention and hope, as well as much-needed conversation. Now this endeavour is being expanded, “The technology developed by our team at IITH has confirmed that the new product will be safe to use and also for the environment. We are currently looking forward for field trials for nanofibres-based feminine hygiene product in next 4-5 months. We have some progress to involve various NGOs to reach out to the women, especially in rural areas where, sanitary napkins are still not accessible due to various reasons. In parallel, we are in discussion with major industrial partners for successful commercialisation of this technology for large scale production. We hope that in next 12 to 18 months, nanofibres-based sanitary napkins would be a reality for end-users to provide them an alternative for safe-mend hygienic menstrual cycle.”
Free The Wings
The Twittersphere imploded in early 2017 when the Delhi Government, while announcing the details of the 2017-18 Budget, that Uttar Pradesh would be levying a 5% taxation on sanitary napkins, a significant decrease from the previous 12%, while consumers outside Delhi are saddled with 12 - 14%.
However, a decrease is not enough; people are calling for a complete tax exemption; over 80% of women in India cannot afford sanitary products in spite of taxation cuts. Let’s face it, sanitary products are just as, if not more, necessary than condoms, which are tax-free. The casual attitude of the Government towards a frankly painful and physically uncomfortable topic for women is unfair and needs revising on a national level.
The resulting hashtag #LahuKaLagaan heaved waves of discourse across the country, with Hyderabad as a hub of conversation. From ministers to gynaecologists to the everyday woman, indignance has reigned over this contentious yet still marginalised topic. There’s a lot of disbelief in the global statistic that women bleed only 1 or 2 teaspoons per cycle. With the amount of bulk packages being sold as well as the number of changing cycles, governments are still unaffected by the number of struggling women, petitions, active campaings and marches.
Dr Kavitha furthers this view, a more common view among gynaecologists, “The campaign with the #LahuKaLagaan explains how most Indian women do not have access to clean sanitary products. It is not inappropriate to demand for 100% tax exemption on napkins. After all, menstruation is a natural process, not a luxury!”
While progress has been made, the realistic expectation of various infrastructures accepting complete tax exemption for pads and tampons, the social discourse has propelled strong opinions on the topic across the gender spectrum.
