Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD) always falls on May 28th for a few reasons – a ‘normal’ cycle is every 28 days and last about 5 days long. This May 28th, we are sharing the message and joining the fight about menstrual hygiene. Poor menstrual hygiene is caused by a lack of education, taboos, stigma, and limited access to menstrual products and satisfactory sanitation infrastructure – and this is still very true within the US. As a result, millions of individuals who menstruate are prevented from reaching their full potential causing them to miss school, work and it can even hurt their self-esteem and mental health.
Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated by the German non-profit WASH United in 2013 and is a global advocacy platform that brings together non-profits, government agencies, individuals, the private sector and the media to promote good menstrual health and hygiene (MHH). It breaks the silence, raises awareness and changes negative social norms around MHH, and engages decision-makers to increase the political priority and create action for MHH, at global, national and local levels. Other organizations, such as PERIOD., are also working hard to close the poverty gap by helping increase accessibility to menstrual products and advocating for laws to help decrease poverty among individuals who menstruate.
To learn more and how to get involved, start your own chapter within your college or service within your community, you can visit Period.org to get started!
