A Community Health nurse at the Jamestown Ussher Hospital, Christiana Bapore, has advised girls to minimise the use of painkillers during their menstrual period.
Ignorantly taking frequent painkillers, she said, negatively affected the liver and other vital organs, which might give them some complications in the future.
She advised girls to resort to exercising frequently and avoid taking spicy and sugary foods during their period to reduce the chances of cramping.
“How long are we going to resort to painkillers? We need to accept that menstruation is part of us and has come to stay and so during this time, we only plead that painkillers be a bit minimal,” she said.
Mrs Bapore further entreated girls who had very severe pain during their menstrual period to visit the nearest health facility to get themselves checked by a physician.
She made the statement at a sensitisation campaign on menstrual hygiene at the Aayalolo Cluster of Schools in Accra yesterday.
Campaign
The campaign, organised by Hope for Africa Eco Village in partnership with Green Generation Ghana and Ashiedu Keteke Sub Metro, was to create awareness of good menstrual hygiene in commemoration of the world Menstrual Hygiene Day which falls on Saturday, May 28 this year.
The children were drawn from the Richard Akwei Memorial School, Amamomo Junior High School and the Seventh-Day Adventist School, all in Jamestown.
They were taught what menstruation was about and how to maintain good personal hygiene within the period.
The students were also shown how to use sanitary and menstrual tools such as the sanitary pads and menstrual cups.
The project coordinator for Hope for Africa, Vincentia Koranteng Asante, reiterated that menstruation should not be a thing girls and boys felt uncomfortable to talk about.
She said it was important that children especially girls felt free to talk about menstruation among their peers, parents and teachers without fear or any intimidation.
“Even though it is a natural thing, some become traumatised and stay home when they experience their period for the first time,†Mrs Asante said.
Mrs Asante said some girls did not dispose of their used pads properly and urged private individuals, government and other stakeholders to help build toilet facilities in the communities with incinerators to burn used pads.
Stigma
The Executive Director for Green Generation Ghana, Anita Djandoh, said her outfit was interested in sanitation and hygiene, among other things, and menstrual hygiene was no exception.
Source: Graphic online