Menstrual Cycle
Menstruation is the natural bleeding from a woman's va- gina once a month. It is a regular biological process caused • by hormones. The age at which menstruation begins for the first time, the interval between menstruation in each month, and the time when menstruation stops may vary from woman to woman. Most girls get their first period between the ages of 12 and 14. But some teenage girls can have menstruation sooner or later than this age. This is also considered normal. If the period is much later than the normal age, you should consult a doctor. Generally, in healthy women, menstruation repeats after 28 days. This process is called the menstrual cycle. This cycle continues regularly until conception. In the early years of menstruation, some people may have irregular menstrual cycles. There are three stages of the menstrual cycle.
Pre-ovulatory Phase
The pre-ovulation state is also known as the proliferative or estrogen phase. In this state, the egg/ovum matures due to the effect of follicle-stimulating hormone. Towards the middle of this phase, estrogen levels increase and this prepares for ovulation. Due to estrogen, the inner part of the uterus begins to thicken.
Ovulatory Phase
This phase begins after the egg/ovum is expelled from the ovary. After the ovum is released fr0111 the ovary, the corpus luteu111 releases a large amount of progesterone and estrogen hormones. The effect of these hormones creates a suitable environment for the reception of the fertilized egg/ovum in the inner layer of the uterus. If there is a pregnancy in this condition, nutrients are obtained from the uterus for the growth and development of the fetus.
Menstrual Bleeding Phase
If the egg/ova is not fertilized during ovulation, the amount of pro-progesterone and estrogen starts to decrease. As a result, the amount of oxygen in the wall of the uterus is low and the blood vessels of the uterus begin to burst. In this way, bleeding occurs when the inner lining of the uterus ruptures and bleeds. This period usually lasts from three to six days.
Menstrual Hygiene Management
A. Read the case below and discuss.
Even before I got my period, my mother taught me a lot about menstruation. She also said that there was no need to be afraid during menstruation. We use sanitary pads available in the market during our period. She also taught me how to use such pads. I learned so much from the internet and TV. My mother taught me about changing the pad after it gets wet and throwing the used pad in a suitable place.
One day I had my period in school. There was no place to keep pads in the toilet. I flushed the pad down the toilet. After a few days, the toilet got blocked. After knowing this I was very scared. I thought the toilet was blocked because of the pad I had thrown away. Come on! I was worried about what I would do if someone found out about it. After that, while cleaning the toilet, many pads came out. Like me, other friends had been throwing pads in the toilet in the same way. From that day on, we never flushed a pad down the toilet. At present, our school has a provision of bins to dispose of the used pads.
Questions for discussion
1. How should you manage the pads you use if you have a period at school?
2. Why should we manage used pads during menstruation?
Clean clothes or pads should be used for menstrual hygiene and sanitation. After using it, it should be managed properly. If a cloth pad is used, it should be washed with soap and water, and dried in the sun. After this, it should be kept in a safe and clean place for next time use. The heat of the sun destroys the germs in the clothes. The fabric of homemade pads should be soft and made of cotton. Nylon and polyester cloth should not be used for making pads. Clothes worn during menstruation should also be washed and cleaned.
At present, sanitary pads have been arranged in schools. After using it, it should be wrapped in paper and thrown in a suitable place. During menstruation, the vagina should be washed regularly with clean water. A sufficient amount of nutritious food, soups, and fresh fruit juice should be taken. Management of menstrual hygiene is the arrangement of pads during menstruation, changing of pads fr0111 time to time, arrangement of water in the toilet, and the adoption of necessary hygiene measures.
Read the reference below and discuss the cost of menstrual pads.
Today, the teacher taught profit and loss in the math class. I was calculating my monthly expenses. While calculating, I found that my n1onthly expense to buy ads as Rs. 150. In this way, my yearly expenses would be Rs. 1,800. According to this calculation, 9,000 will be spent in five years. My mother and two sisters are also in my house. When I remembered the expenses on everyone's pad, I was surprised.
a. How much rupees did you spend on buying pads?
b. How can this money be saved?
Let's know
Nowadays, menstrual cups are also used that are made of silicone. It is used by inserting it into the vagina. This cup is attached to the vaginal wall below the uterus and blood is collected in this cup. It can be washed thoroughly and reused. It is also environment-friendly and economical.
B. Reusable Homemade Pad
We can use homemade pads or cloth pads available in the market during menstruation. These pads are eco-friendly, affordable, accessible, and reusable. The sanitary pads are also available in the market. Plastic materials and chemicals may be used in those pads. If these pads are not properly managed, the environment gets polluted. Purchasing these pads costs money.
Activity:
Now, with the help of a teacher or an experienced person, we are going to prepare home-made pads. Collect the necessary materials and do the activity of making a pad of household cloth that can be reused.
Necessary materials: scale, thick paper that can be folded, pen, Clark- er, scissors, sewing thread, cotton cloth (new/old), buttons
Method of Making Home-made Pads
➣Cut the paper so that it is 30 cm in length and 20 cm in width.
➣Fold the cut paper in such a way that it doubles lengthwise and again fold it in the middle so that it is equal in width. Place it on the table with the closed part on the right and the wide open part outside.
➣With the help of a scale, mark 5 cm from the inner part of the length to the outside and mark 10 cm from the same point towards the width. Cut the part beyond the line made in the middle of the width throw it away and open the rest.
➣Take the pattern made in this way inside out, double it put it on the folded cloth, and mark it with a pen. Cut the marked part with scissors and sew with thread to join the two parts.
➣Cut 4 cm lengthwise so that it falls between the length and width and make the shell of the pad smooth. Align the corners with the tip of the scissors.
➣To make the fabric smooth, leave a little corner to sew and make the fabric smooth from there.
➣After making it accurate, join the other fabric lengthwise to make a pocket. After sewing it, make the pad flat and put a stitch on the side.
➣Now, the shell of the pad is prepared. As the pad is stitched from side to side, it is attached to the panty and the pad does not move anywhere. Now, take the cloth you use, sew it squarely, and fold it so that it is long, put it in the pocket of the pad shell, and stick it to the panty with a stitch.
The pad should be washed well with soapy water. It should be dried in the sun and then it can be used again. To make the fabric smooth, leave a little corner to sew and make the fabric smooth from there.