Menstrual Hygiene Day is marked on May 28 every year. As per a study, it comes to light that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and successive lockdowns, menstrual hygiene and health for millions of women and girls have been suffering.

According to experts, the poorest sections of the society have been the worst affected in accessing menstrual hygiene products during the pandemic. ''Menstrual health is a human right. Yet, menstruation can result in discrimination, stigma and exclusion against women and girls, the world body tweeted on Friday.

The 6th annual Menstrual Hygiene Survey by Everteen, a feminine hygiene brand, released on the eve of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021 was conducted on nearly 5000 women in the age group of 18 to 35 years from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

Among other aspects of menstrual hygiene, this year’s survey specifically aimed to gauge the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown in India on periods in women. The survey revealed that more than 41 percent of women experienced an unusually irregular gap in their periods. This is startling because only 13.7 percent of women who participated in the survey said they were infected with COVID-19.

A disturbing finding was that 26.6 percent of women did nothing about irregularity in their menstrual cycle dates, while another 35.4 percent of women only discussed it with their mother or friends. Just 38 percent of women chose to consult a doctor to evaluate why their menstrual cycle date was irregular

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