Menstrual Hygiene in India: A Long Way to Go!

Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is a critical determinant of reproductive health, dignity, and gender equity. In India, despite policy advances, significant disparities persist across caste, geography, disability, and gender identity. Aims & Objectives: To review the current status, policy landscape, equity gaps, and programmatic challenges in menstrual hygiene in India and propose strategic directions for menstrual health equity. Methodology: A narrative review of secondary data sources including NFHS-4 and NFHS-5, Government of India guidelines, UN agency reports, and peer-reviewed literature indexed in PubMed and Google Scholar. Policy documents and NGO reports were reviewed to capture programmatic and implementation perspectives. Results: NFHS-5 reports 77.3% use of hygienic menstrual methods among women aged 15–24, an improvement from 57.6% in NFHS-4; however, rural–urban and caste-based disparities persist. Barriers include sociocultural stigma, inadequate WASH infrastructure, environmental concerns, exclusion of transgender and disabled populations, and weak monitoring mechanisms. Implementation challenges affect schemes such as MHS and RKSK. Conclusion: Menstrual hygiene in India requires a unified national roadmap integrating equity, sustainability, monitoring, and intersectoral coordination to ensure menstrual dignity for all.