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Sustainable Periods: Limit Waste 

There are roughly 3.9 billion women in this world. Of those 3.9 billion women, 2.3 billion women lack access to basic sanitation methods. That leaves us with 1.6 billion women that have access to basic sanitation. Of those 1.6 billion women, according to WaterAid, 800 million women, aging from puberty to 35-40 years of age, are menstruating. If we assume that 30 percent of the 800 million menstruating women use sanitary pads, that will give us roughly 240 million women that use only sanitations pads and 560 million women that use other forms of basic sanitation. Women generally get their cycle for 2 to 7 days, lasting up to 10 days, every month. If menstruating women use 6 sanitation pads per cycle, that is 1.4 billion sanitation pads per month and 16 billion sanitation pads per year that end up in our landfills. 

What is a Sustainable Period? 

A sustainable period is reducing the amount of waste menstruating women use while on their periods. When you choose to have a sustainable period, you are choosing to limit the waste that is going into landfills, and you are choosing to better the environment for generations to come. By choosing to buy sustainable feminine products you are choosing to not only limit waste but slow climate change and lessen your carbon footprint. By choosing to have a sustainable period, you are working to lower the 16 billion sanitation pads that go into our landfills and oceans per year. If women worldwide educate themselves, not just on menstrual health and sanitation, but also on having a sustainable period, we can not only change women of all ages' lives but make an impact on bettering our environment for today's generation and generations to come. 

At Stetho Health Systems we are engaged in producing sustainable products and packaging by using fresh, transparent, and chemical-free ingredients. We strive to produce and use recyclable or reusable packaging for most of our products. At Stetho Health Systems our goal to try and help limit waste so that we can help solve critical issues that our planet is facing.

At Ava: Feminine Health and Hygiene, introduced by Stetho Health Systems, we research and develop science-backed, healthy, sustainable, everyday menstrual hygiene products you can trust. Through our products our goal is to not only empower and make menstruation better for females around the world but also protect our planet while doing so.

Inconclusion- 

Roughly 829,000 people worldwide die each year from diarrhoea and of those 829,000 people, 525,000 of them are children. Diarrhoea can be the result of unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and hand hygiene. Diarrhoea is defined as “the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day” and is typically a symptom of an internal tract infection. Without proper access to clean water, people are less likely to wash their hands leading to contamination and the likelihood of diarrhoea and other diseases. Contaminated drinking water or food, or from one person to another because of poor hygiene can be the cause of infection in the intestinal tract.

WHO states that nearly 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water globally. Our water sources become contaminated by waste, sewage, and chemicals making it unsafe and unsanitary for people to not only drink but also to perform basic sanitation methods such as washing our hands. When people don’t wash their hands, they can contaminate the food that other people eat, and they can spread diseases to other people. Diarrhoea is one such disease that can be prevented when people have access to clean water and proper sanitation. According to WHO in 2020, 368 million people got their water from unprotected wells and springs and 122 million people collected water from untreated surface waters such as lakes, ponds, and rivers. Low-income countries have little access to clean sanitation heightening their risk for diseases and infection.

3.6 billion people worldwide live without proper sanitation methods. Proper sanitation methods are defined as “having access to facilities for the safe disposal of human waste (feces and urine), as well as having the ability to maintain hygienic conditions” defined to the CDC. When people don’t have access to proper sanitation methods such as having a place to privately use the restroom, they are risking the spread of human waste. Approximately 673 million people defecate in the open. When people defecate in the open, they are using the restroom our land, and our water sources. When individuals defecate on our land, they are contaminating the soil we plant our crops in. When they defecate in our water sources, they are contaminating the water we drink, wash our hands in, and water our soil with. Inadequate sanitation methods jeopardize human health and hygiene.

People all over the world, especially in low-income countries, go every day without proper sanitation methods, and clean water, and are jeopardizing their health. Without proper access to water, people cannot properly shower, increasing the risk of infections, especially in women and girls. When women and girls don’t have the proper access to a shower or clean water, they can get infections or other diseases, especially during menstruation. Menstruation happens in girls aging from 10–50 and is the shedding of the uterus lining when no pregnancy occurs in a woman’s body. When women don’t have the right sanitation methods, especially during menstruation, they are at risk for infections and diseases such as UTIs, RTIs, and yeast infections. With clean water and proper resources for feminine hygiene products, we can limit the number of infections and diseases that happen to women.

In-conclusion:

Puberty is a time in a child’s life when their body transitions and prepares them for adulthood. This means that they are becoming sexually mature. Young girls typically experience puberty between the ages of 8 and 15. Some girls experience puberty sooner than others or later, it all depends on the girl as each body is different and experiences change differently.

During puberty, the body changes. Young girls they being to develop breasts, experience hair growth in the pubic area and armpits, and start their menstrual cycle. A girl’s body experiences puberty over a period of years. It doesn’t happen right away.

There are 5 tanner stages of puberty. Tanner scale also known as the sexual maturity rating, tracks physical development in children, though each child experiences puberty at their own pace.

5 Tanner Stages:

Stage 1: During this stage, there is no physical change to the body only internal changes. The brain sends signals to the body to prepare for change, and the hypothalamus releases releasing hormones known as gonadotropin to the pituitary gland, which then starts producing luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones. This stage typically begins after a female turns 8.

Stage 2: At this stage is when physical development begins as your hormones send signals throughout your body. You begin to form buds which is a lump that forms under the nipple, your areolas will expand, and your uterus will enlarge. At this stage, you will also begin to grow pubic around your vulva lips. This stage typically starts between the ages of 9 and 11.

Stage 3: At stage 3 physical change becomes more prominent. Your teen hormones are working hard, and you will experience a growth spurt. In this phase you will have the highest growth rate, your breast buds will grow bigger, get hair under your armpits, and start to notice your first acne. You will also start to notice your hips and thighs develop and start to store fat. This stage typically starts after the age of 12.

Stage 4: Puberty is now in full effect, and you will notice a lot of change. Your breasts grow larger, you may experience your first period, and your pubic hair becomes thicker. This stage typically begins around age 13.

Stage 5: This is the final stage of growth. By this stage your hips and thighs will fill out, your period will become regular, and your reproductive organs and genitals are fully developed. This phase typically happens around age 15.

In-conclusion:

During puberty, the female body changes and develops over a time span of years. They experience a change in not only their body but also their hormones. It is important that young girls are educated on how their body changes and why. The more educated young girls are the more confidence they will have during this change in their life. “By educating & and availing healthy products to females, we aim to develop a healthy ecosystem to fulfill all women’s intimate & menstrual hygiene needs and encourage their self-love & confidence.” Cristiana Sandor CEO of Stetho Health Systems stated. At Stetho Health Systems we want not only want to produce products for women and young girls that encourage self-love and confidence, but we also want to educate women and young girls so that they can better understand their body, menstruation, and all the changes that will occur to their bodies.

When a woman goes 12 months without getting a period, she is experiencing menopause. In the U.S. the average a woman experiences menopause is 51 but a woman can experience in her 40s 0r 50s. Some women may also experience menopause early in her 30s.

Menopause occurs in three stages: perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause.

Perimenopause:

Perimenopause is the stage before menopause. During this stage a woman’s estrogen levels begin to decrease resulting in her menstrual cycle becoming irregular. A women will experience symptoms such as irregular periods or hot flashes during perimenopause.

A woman can experience perimenopause as early as mid-30s and as late as mid-50s. Some women are in perimenopause a short time while someone can be in it for 4 to 8 years. Each woman’s body is different as to how long they will be in perimenopause.

Menopause:

Menopause occurs when a women’s ovaries no longer release an egg each month during ovulation. When an egg is no longer released a woman no longer experiences menstruation this results in menopause.

Symptoms of Menopause:

The most common symptom of menopause is known as vasomotor symptoms. Vasomotor symptoms are also known as hot flashes and are a result of changes in a woman’s gonadal hormones. When you experience hot flashes, it is a sudden feeling of warmth over the upper body. In most women hot flashes are typically mild but can and be severe in other woman.

Other symptoms may include:

· Vaginal dryness

· Sore breasts

· Emotional changes

· Irregular or missed periods

Post-menopause:

Once a woman goes 12 months without a menstrual cycle, she then experiences post menopause. In this stage the symptoms a woman experienced during menopause will become mild. A women will no longer ovulate, get a cycle, and she can no longer become pregnant. Once a woman enters post menopause she is in this stage for the rest of her life.

In-conclusion:

Menstruation is a biological and hormonal process that every woman goes through. Every woman has different hormones, and therefore, periods have distinct consequences. However, cramps, pain, itching and feeling haywire are common period symptoms. We cannot change the effects of periods on one’s body. Nevertheless, women can manage its consequences by following suitable measures. By emphasizing the importance of menstrual health, Cristiana Sandor, CEO, Stetho Health Systems, said,

We’ve compiled a list of essential Do’s and Don’ts that every woman should follow for better menstrual health management. Read further to know them all.

Do’s

1. Eat Healthy Diet

Not only in periods, but eating a healthy and nutritious diet is essential every day. It is essential to eat healthy in menstruation as the body is already losing blood and water, and lack of blood might drain your energy and make your body iron-deficient. So, to fulfil the deficiency of iron & deliver vital nutrients to the body, it is necessary to eat a diet with the right proportion of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, proteins, minerals and water. Even in the premenstrual stage, eating salmon, dark chocolates, oatmeal, citrus fruits, and eggs helps ease the symptoms.

2. Take Adequate Rest

In a busy schedule, people forget to give their bodies appropriate rest. Lack of sleep results in high-stress responsivity, body pain, reduced quality of life, emotional distress & mood disorders, and performance disorders. And, in periods, it’s natural to feel lethargic, sleepy & low on energy due to the blood flow from the body. It is essential to rest at least 6–8 hours a day to balance menstruation symptoms if you are menstruating.

3. Stay Hydrated

Water is an essential component and comprises up to 60% of our body. However, the percentage of water in the human body varies according to age, gender, level of physical activity & needs of the body. According to Larry Kenny, a professor of physiology & kinesiology at Penn state, “Hydration is important because our body is composed mostly of water. The proper balance between water & electrolytes in our bodies determines how most of our systems functions”. In periods, the water levels are highly affected due to the blood flow, and it generally results in dehydration, low blood pressure, low energy and mood disorders.

Hence, drinking at least 8–10 glasses of water is necessary to prevent these disorders. Many people generally get confused that only plain water can fulfill the required hydration quantity. But drinking other liquid drinks such as juices, tea, milk, watery fruits, and coconut water are also rich sources of hydrating the body.

4. Workout

Many people believe that workouts are prohibited for maintaining better menstrual health during periods. But the truth is reversed. Doctors suggest that working out in periods helps to improve mood and minimise cramps. Hence, every woman should do a light exercise or a walk even while menstruating. An individual should avoid working out if she is diagnosed with a health issue & exercising might worsen the condition. In such a case, she should perform exercise only after the doctor’s recommendation.

5. Choose the Suitable Sanitation Method.

The sanitation method right for someone else might not be suitable for you. Choosing the wrong sanitation method can result in leakage & various infections. You can opt for pads or tampons if your flow is light, but you should probably use menstrual cups for heavy flow. Using oversized sanitary napkins can also lead to irritation, rashes and itching. Therefore, choosing the correct sanitation method is essential according to your blood flow.

Besides choosing the correct sanitation method, maintaining proper menstrual hygiene is also necessary. Do not forget to change your sanitary napkin every 4–6 hours, dispose of your sanitary product appropriately, wash your genital area & hands properly to maintain better menstrual hygiene.

6. Visit a Gynecologist Whenever Required

Our body changes from time to time. Sometimes, these changes are untraceable and can result in severe health issues. Therefore, women must visit a gynecologist in case of changes in the menstrual cycle or any matter related to the genital area. Most of the women avoid consulting with their doctors by considering it negligible. However, it is necessary to understand its importance and visit for a check-up with a gynecologist. Also, educate others for better menstrual health & hygiene management.

There are some don’ts that females should avoid doing for better menstrual health.

1. Do not eat Junk & Oily Food.

Avoiding unhealthy & junk food is also essential to maintain good menstrual health. In periods, you already feel weak due to blood flow, and delivering essential nutrients becomes necessary for your body’s better functioning. Junk, processed & unhealthy food makes you feel full but does not deliver vital nutrients to your body. Doctors recommend not to eat processed, sugary, spicy and junk food for better health during your periods.

2. Do not take Painkillers.

We understand that period pain is real and becomes intolerable for some women. But taking painkillers might disturb the natural cycle of the body. Hence, avoid taking painkillers in periods. However, if there is no other option, consult doctors first before taking any painkiller. Still, instead of it, using natural and home remedies like a heating pad, gently massaging the abdomen and taking a warm bath to manage dysmenorrhea.

3. Avoid Alcohol or Caffeine during Menstruation.

Alcohol is not good and has adverse effects on the body. Consuming alcohol or caffeine in periods can disbalance your hormones and increase the production of both estrogen and testosterone in the body. It leads to an irregular cycle, lowers the level of magnesium from the body, mood swings and intensify PMS symptoms. Therefore, it is essential to avoid alcohol or caffeine during menstruation.

4. Don’t Use Additional Intimate Area Cleaning Products.

Many women rely on vaginal cleaning products to maintain their menstrual hygiene. The vaginal cells keep it at an average PH level & have a natural cleaning tendency. These products contain additional chemicals that might harm the natural cleaning tendency of the vagina during periods. Therefore, you should not use any product until your gynecologist prescribes it. You can use a mild soap to clean the area around the vagina but never douche any spray or soap in your vagina. Just wash it with lukewarm water and use a clean & dry towel to wipe it properly.

Final Words-

Your well-being is your foremost responsibility. Hindustan Wellness is with you in your journey towards a healthier life.