NASHIK: In today’s changing scenario, the concept of women hygiene should not just be restricted to an individual woman entity but involvement of family members, especially a mother in creation of awarness about menstruation and menstrual practices among their daughters has become a need of the hour.
Especially in rural areas girls are still not prepared and aware about menstruation so they face many difficulties and challenges at home, schools, and work places. Lack of awareness & knowledge, communication gap, negligence towards self-care, hygiene and proper diet have become a great hindrance in the path of personal and menstrual hygiene management, echoed panelists at panel discussion on ‘women hygiene’ held at Deshdoot office here yesterday on the occasion International Women’s Day.
Deshdoot and Deshdoot Times Executive Editor Dr Vaishali Balajiwale led the panel discussion in which experts Neha Gaikwad, Kavita Devgaonkar, Anjali Mehta of Rotary Club of Nashik, Alka Khairnar – soya products manufacturer, consulting homeopathic Dr Manisha Shinde, gynaecologist Dr Kavita Gadekar, gynaecologist Dr Varsha Lahane, dentist Dr Abha Pimparikar and Dr Kanchan Desai shared their views and opinions about women hygiene management.
“In rural areas, personal hygiene is still remained a neglected factor. The women still lack proper knowledge about health benefits of sanitary pads, hygiene management,” said gynaecologist Dr Varsha Lahane demanding that biomedical waste should be disposed off in line with medical waste. Speaking on the rising cases of cervical cancer in rural parts, Dr Lahane said prevention is the best remedy rather than treatment.
Gynaecologist Dr Kavita Gadekar stated that awareness should be created among youngsters about basic hygiene, menopause, infection and infertility. “With the consultation of doctors, barrier contraceptive methods should be applied to maintain women hygiene.”
Elaborating on an important role of parents in removing doubts about personal hygiene among women, Dentist Dr Abha Pimparikar and Kavita Devgaonkar stated that healthy communication and conversation between parents, particularly a mother, and a daughter holds key to remove obstacle of inferiority complex and shyness prevailing in girls.
Anjali Mehta of Rotary Club of Nashik stressed on the importance of counselling saying that women should change her views about ‘self’ and should shun fear about personal hygiene. Panelists Neha Gaikwad and Alka Khairnar explained the importance of hand-washing to maintain good hygiene. “We would win half battle if bad habit like spitting at public places is gave up,” they urged.
Homeopathic Dr Manisha Shinde who has written a thesis on menstrual urged women that they should not call natural menstrual process as a problem, rather they ought to give priority to self-awareness.
Dr Kanchan Desai spoke on proper diet, anemia problem and steps to maintain women hygiene.
