Menstrual health is a longstanding taboo topic in many countries. History of exclusion, rare preemptive treatment, and discomfort is the reality for women across the world. In India, this lack of treatment and feelings are not uncommon. Four aspects of menstruation are present; Treatment is sought only after a major issue and remains unresolved for an extended period of time. There is a lack of preventative treatment, girls are taught about menstruation from school, while boys remain uneducated on the subject, women do not practice healthy diet and exercise habits to prevent period pains. After visiting Bangalore, India, it was found that women in rural villages described the pain as one of their biggest discomforts along with no preemptive treatment and concerns about sanitary disposal. Menstrual health is important because it makes for a healthy individual and the global health approach to these discomforts is necessary to propose a sustainable and culturally relevant solution. Focusing on pain, the aim was to focus on how might one help rural women combat physical pain during menstruation through greater relationships with health resources. Thus the proposal for the Comfort Care Kit. This kit is proposed for rural women in India in hopes to reduce discomfort in communities. Looking to the current menstrual health practices and observations while in India along with successful healthy period initiatives that have been implemented, the kit is culturally informed. Through partnering with existing women’s groups, the proposal aims to connect women to local health professionals and resources. These kits will include cloth sanitary pads, heating pads, pain medication, diet charts, doctor contact information, and general pamphlets on menstrual health that all, directly and indirectly, address menstrual pain.
Authors: Lauren Brown, Danielle Nehring, Aravind Manohar, Joanna Joseph
Advisors: Dr. Vaishali Raval and Dr. Paul Flaspohler, Department of Psychology
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