65% of men call for better menstrual education campaigns: Everteen survey

On Global Menstrual Hygiene Day, everteen has revealed insights from its ninth menstrual hygiene survey. Breaking ground by including nearly 1,000 male perspectives, the over 7,800 responses shed light on crucial gaps and perceptions when it comes to conversations around periods.

Surprisingly, while 60.2% of men claim they are open to discussing matters related to periods, over half admitted to never buying menstrual products. A staggering 77.7% haven't educated themselves about menstruation, and only 11.7% shoulder extra household duties during their partner's period.

Social taboos weigh heavy; 69.8% find it hard to broach the topic with their partners, and 65.3% believe in more male-centric education. Yet, inclusion sparks change—41.3% committed to learning, 27.7% pledged support, and 21.2% promised open dialogue.

Chirag Pan, CEO of PAN Healthcare noted that males must unequivocally participate if we want to truly realise the vision of a period-friendly world. If half of the world’s population is unconcerned or uneducated about periods, the goal of a period-friendly world cannot be accomplished.

“In a society like India where taboos make it hard for men to accept menstrual periods as a normal phenomenon, we have tried to make humble beginnings by including male participation in our everteen menstrual hygiene survey this year. I am happy to see the positive impact with so many male participants promising to taking on additional actions to support their female partners during periods,” he added.

Hariom Tyagi, CEO of Wet and Dry Personal Care, the maker of everteen, said that the responses from the menstrual hygiene survey emphasises a need for creating more awareness among men on the subject of periods. “Nearly 90% women said they do not feel comfortable discussing periods with their father or brother, while three in four women (77.4%) do not feel comfortable discussing it with their husbands! Only 8.4% women are comfortable discussing period-related issues with their male colleagues at workplace,” he pointed out.

Women's responses in the survey echo the urgency; discomfort discussing periods with family and sleep disturbances during menstruation underline unmet needs. However, 87.1% prefer menstrual-friendly workplaces over leaves, highlighting corporate responsibility.

Another recent survey on menstrual awareness by Youth Ki Awaaz, which gathered insights from over 11,000 respondents, also emphasised the need for holistic menstrual health education. Starkly, 11% admitted to lacking prior understanding, and 18.8% expressed confusion. Moreover, 2% associated menstruation with abnormalities or divine curses, reflecting prevalent misconceptions that fuel stigma.

Brands like everteen and Sirona are trying to bridge this gap with campaigns like #FixYourPeriods, #SheNeedsPad, #PadHerLife, and #TheBloodyConversation. These attempts to drive the advocacy for menstruation by enabling open conversation about periods and menstrual hygiene is empowering women to speak up, thereby fostering a more inclusive future.