Menstruation is a natural event for all women of reproductive age. For most women it occurs once a month. Each month the womb develops a special lining that can protect and feed a fertilised egg as it develops into a baby. If a woman is not pregnant, this lining is no longer needed and is lost from the body. Menstruation shows that a woman is healthy and fertile.
Unfortunately all kinds of beliefs and taboos have developed around menstruation. In many cultures women are thought to be unclean during menstruation. Women have different ways of dealing with the menstrual flow, which is rich in blood, to avoid staining their clothes. Disposable sanitary towels are widely available but many women cannot afford to use these. Instead they use rags made from old clothing.
Because of the shame often associated with monthly bleeding, women may wash and dry these rags indoors, hidden away in dark and sometimes damp conditions. This means the rags may become covered with insects and full of microbes. Infections and soreness often result. Rags should be washed in safe water using plenty of soap, dried in full sun and stored in plastic bags when dry. Women should also wash themselves well each day.