Dear Forum,

The issue of having too much information on Menstrual hygiene management in the Gender factsheet was recently brought into the forefront.

Elisabeth posed the question whether it would be a problem if the gender factsheet has too much on MHM. Another important aspect that Elisabeth mentioned and I quote was that,

“Gender issues is so much more than “only” women’s issues and that the tricky part is how to ensure that the message is not “women’s body are messy” – rather, menstruation should be celebrated as a sign of fertility and health”.

One of the key publications on MHM is Kirk and Sommer (2006) where it is pointed out that "a conceptual challenge from feminist theory is how to work on menstruation issues in a strategic way and avoid further entrenching notions of the female body as ‘messy’, ‘leaky’, ‘disruptive’ and problematic to the serious processes of teaching and learning."

Here is the link: www.susana.org/library?search=sommer

I agree that we would not want to perpetuate negative attitudes towards women’s body making it seem ugly and or disgusting. However how do we find the balance strategically when highlighting challenges of MHM in our factsheet and what are the appropriate holistic sustainable methods of tackling these negative attitudes and bringing them into the forefront? MHM is still quite a difficult topic to discuss in many cultures.

Therefore the question is: How much is too much?

I look forward to your input and advice.

Doreen