May 28 is International Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Menstruation is not a private topic that only belongs to women, it is about the health and dignity of women.
Today, "menstrual poverty" has become a worldwide problem.
How to eliminate "menstrual poverty", how to promote global action?
How should China and foreign countries cooperate in the promotion of innovative science popularization?
China News Agency's "East-West Question, China Dialogue" invited UNFPA's representative in China, Justine Coulson, to talk with Kuaishou blogger "Science Girl Shell Sauce" Wang Hongtan.
Kang Jiating said that in many areas, the stigma of menstruation still exists, and international cooperation is needed to eliminate "menstrual discrimination" and "menstrual poverty".
She pointed out that some Western and old mental health support models may not be suitable for other countries and regions in the world. New technologies should be used to carry out mental health and popular science work among young people.
As a popular science blogger, Wang Hongtan believes that some misunderstandings may be passed down from generation to generation. He suggested that the East and the West should strengthen cooperation in women's health and other fields, such as promoting mutual aid projects on campus, and paying more attention to the health and safety of women in poverty-stricken areas.
The photo "East-West Questions chinadialogue" invited UNFPA's representative in China, Justine Coulson, to talk to blogger "Science Girl Shell Sauce" Wang Hongtan.
Photo by Tian Bochuan
An excerpt from the conversation follows:
China News Agency reporter: Why do some regions have a culture of "menstrual shame"? Is the phenomenon of "menstrual discrimination" serious?
Kang Jiating:
Whether in high-income countries or low-income countries, many women are discriminated against or treated unfairly because of their menstruation every day.
This could be due to cultural taboos or stigma around menstruation, or it could be because they don't have the money to buy hygiene products.
In some cultures, women are considered unclean or dirty during menstruation, which is clearly a myth, yet they are ostracized by their communities.
There are other forms of discrimination in some countries, such as girls being teased by boys or even sexually harassed when they menstruate at school.
Sometimes when a girl starts menstruating, even though she is still a child, people think she can get married, and these girls may be forced into early marriage.
For many women, menstrual safety remains a serious issue.
Wang Hongtan:
Historically, "menstrual shame" stemmed from the lack of scientific understanding of menstruation in society, and because menstruation was related to sex, it was a relatively private topic and was often stigmatized.
For example, some scholars in Roman times said that if a menstruating woman touched iron, the iron would rust, and if she touched wheat, the wheat would wither.
With the development of modern medicine, more and more people realize that menstruation is a normal physiological phenomenon, but influenced by cultural and other factors, "menstrual shame" is still engraved in some people's cognition.
To eliminate the problems of "menstrual discrimination" and "menstrual shame", education is a very important link. It is necessary to build a scientific cognitive system for children and adolescents in their growth stages.
China News Service reporter: What is "menstrual poverty"? How to solve "menstrual poverty" through international cooperation?
Kang Jiating:
"Menstrual poverty" means that women or adolescent girls do not have enough funds to buy sanitary products, pain medication, new underwear and other materials needed to ensure menstrual health.
"Menstrual poverty" is not only a problem in economically backward countries, poor women in every country can face this problem, for example, in the EU or my country, the UK, statistics show that an estimated 1 in 10 girls cannot afford it Hygiene items needed every month.
Especially during the epidemic, many families are under additional financial pressure.
It is worth noting that when girls need these hygiene products but cannot afford to buy them, they may do dangerous things, for example, they may be forced to go to the store to steal, or to trade in sex; I don't go to school if I buy hygiene products.
To address the issue of "menstrual poverty", some governments have reduced or eliminated value-added tax on hygiene products to reduce the cost of menstrual management, but the international community still needs to do more.
Whether East or West, realize that we live in a globalized world and that socially responsible businesses can also contribute.
Especially in Africa, women may face more difficulties and should solve problems through cooperation.
When girls are discriminated against, they also face mental health issues.
It is especially important to note that some old mental health support models from the West are not necessarily suitable for other countries and regions in the world.
With the popularization of the Internet, more mental health guidance work can be carried out among young people through the Internet in the future.
China News Service: How is the cooperation between the United Nations Population Fund and China?
Kang Jiating:
For decades, the United Nations Population Fund has maintained close cooperation with the Chinese government and other partners to strengthen maternal health services, etc. The quality of maternal health care in China has been significantly improved and improved, preventable maternal and infant mortality rates. There was a marked decline.
Among the youth groups and disabled groups, we have also done a lot of work in cooperation with the local community to popularize the knowledge of sex education.
At the same time, working with governments at all levels in China to eliminate the ethos of patriarchy, which I think China has made incredible progress in.
China News Agency reporter: Does drinking hot water help women relieve discomfort during menstruation? How should society promote science popularization more effectively?
Kang Jiating:
Globally, about 20% of women experience weakness and pain during menstruation.
It is important for women to be able to manage their menstrual health, get pain medication, and seek counseling from a healthcare provider.
If you want to drink hot water during your period and it will make you feel better, there is no harm in drinking hot water.
I think making a personal choice, based on having the right information, is the most important thing.
Wang Hongtan:
Some menstrual “secret recipes” circulating on the Internet are mostly unscientific. For example, you must drink more hot water during menstruation. Hot drinks themselves may have a certain effect on dilating blood vessels and relieve a little pain, but they are not suitable for everyone.
Menstrual period is in a more susceptible state, you need to pay attention to personal hygiene, you can wash with warm water, but do not blindly buy lotion recommended on the Internet, lotion is mainly for the treatment of some diseases, if you are in a healthy state, excessive use of lotion will actually Easy to get sick.
When doing popular science work, I found that some misunderstandings may be caused by "passing down from generation to generation", especially in the era of social media, rumors are more likely to spread.
In areas such as women's health, it is recommended that the East and the West strengthen cooperation, such as promoting mutual aid projects on campus, popularizing scientific knowledge to teenagers, and eliminating "menstrual discrimination" and "menstrual shame" at the budding stage.
At the same time, it is recommended to promote the cooperation of civil society organizations and pay more attention to the safety of women in poor areas.
China News Agency reporter: What can men do to eliminate "menstrual discrimination"?
Kang Jiating: Thinking
back to 40 years ago, when I was in school, when girls were 12 years old, they would be taken to a "talk", the so-called "talk", that is, all girls were taken to the school auditorium to listen to a 30-minute lecture on menstruation , there is no opportunity to ask questions.
This is how teachers introduced menstruation to young people in those days.
After that 30-minute "talk", I had no other opportunity to discuss menstrual health for the next 5 years of school, and the boys were not given any information or guidance on menstrual health.
Now, no one should be repeating the experience I had when I was 12 - just chatting with girls at school about menstrual health.
Now it is necessary to design relevant links in biology and sex education courses in schools, so that boys and girls can learn about menstruation together, and let them know that this is a normal physiological process, not a taboo.