Menstrual Hygiene Management: Operational Guidelines

Adolescence and puberty is a time of intense physical and emotional change for young people between the ages of 10 and 17. Puberty marks a transition between childhood and adulthood that impacts adolescents’ physical, emotional, and social well-being. Evidence shows that during puberty, adolescents embrace and solidify the gender norms of their society. So the way girls and boys see themselves within their family, community and society can be drastically altered for the rest of their lives. In some contexts, puberty leads to increased social restrictions for girls and increased social freedom for boys. Many adolescents, especially girls, will experience a severe drop in self-confidence during puberty.All of these factors and more contribute to the increased rates of risky social and health-related behaviors that many adolescents practice.

While MHM is not different from other school health interventions in its requirement of careful planning and collaboration, this topic is sensitive and sometimes stigmatized due to the link between menstruation and sexual and reproductive health. It is our responsibility to design, implement, and monitor our program to Introduction to the Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Operational Guidelines respect those sensitivities, as well as reduce the social stigma of menstruation and puberty.To do this, the process often starts by evaluating our own beliefs and biases. In fact, throughout the program cycle steps, staff may encounter a stigma towards MHM.There may also be teachers, parents, students and high-ranking officials with negative beliefs on MHM, or simply inaccurate information. Throughout the program