The menstrual makeover | Menstrual hygiene in India

W hen 33-year-old Sonali Mukherjee, a freelance graphic designer, returned to her hometown of Indore after five years studying and working in Canada, one of the unexpected changes she noticed was the periodcare aisle in department stores. "Before I left, pads would rub against the inner thighs and leave you feeling damp and uncomfortable. Now, they're so much softer and more breathable. You don't have that horrible sogginess or itchiness all the time," she says. "I didn't even know period panties were available here." Alongside, her younger cousins in the city seem more comfortable talking about menstruation than she does herself.

The change that Mukherjee sees is not limited to India's big cities, and is the result of a sustained and concerted effort. Numbers confirm how dramatically India's menstrual hygiene landscape has changed. Data from the sixth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) show that the use of hygienic menstrual protection among women aged 15-24 has risen to 79.2 per cent, from 78 per cent in NFHS-5 and 57.6 per cent in NFHS-4. Government initiatives like Kerala's She Pad programme have helped hundreds of thousands of girls break down taboos around periods and learn proper menstrual hygiene -- the state has distributed menstrual cups with training on safe use. Karnataka, too, has announced plans to distribute over one million menstrual cups to schoolgirls under its Shuchi scheme for 2025-26. Companies have aided the effort and departed from earlier attempts to simply absorb the flow. Today, they are releasing products that prevent rashes, help with overnight use and postpartum recovery, and even provide sustainable options for the environmentally conscious. The market has ballooned, according to MarkNtel Advisors, a market research and consulting firm, which estimates India's menstrual care market to be around $940 million, or roughly Rs 8,000 crore, in 2025, growing to $1.07 billion, or close to Rs 9,000-9,500 crore, in 2026."Awareness about menstrual hygiene has improved significantly over the years," says Dr Lipi Sharma, consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ShardaCare-HealthCity, Greater Noida. "Many adolescent girls today understand the importance of changing menstrual products regularly, maintaining personal hygiene, and seeking medical advice when they experience abnormal symptoms," adds Dr Shilpa Ghosh, senior director & unit head, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, Delhi. CARE FOR EVERYONENewer companies are tackling problems once inconceivable due to India's menstrual illiteracy. Plush, a Bengaluru-based feminine hygiene startup, was started in 2018 when founders Ketan Munoth and Prince Kapoor noticed a problem women kept complaining about -- pad rash. "That trigger set us down a long path of R&D," says Munoth. The founders spoke to around 500 women and spent nearly two years developing their first product through five rounds of testing. Today, Plush's sanitary pads use a 100 per cent American cotton top-sheet instead of a synthetic fabric to reduce skin irritation. The company nearly doubled its revenue in FY24 and raised Rs 40 crore in 2025.New product formats are also easier to adopt. Pee Safe sells reusable menstrual cups made from medical-grade silicone, safe for long-term use. In just six months of 2024, they sold nearly one million period panties, which offer 360-degree absorption comparable to multiple sanitary pads. The company reported a sharp rise in revenue in FY25, suggesting that products once considered niche are finding mainstream consumers.Sirona has introduced products such as the portable menstrual cup steriliser, which can sterilise a cup in about a minute and doubles as a hygienic storage case. Acquired by Good Glamm Group in a Rs 450-crore deal, it was quickly bought back by its founders. On the rise in adoption, founder Deep Bajaj says, "The conversation just got too loud to suppress."Dr Ghosh welcomes the change. "The expansion of menstrual products recognises that women's needs are different," she says. "A schoolgoing teenager, an athlete, a working professional and a new mother may all need different solutions."BEYOND THE PRODUCTDoctors say the biggest challenge now is not access to products but making an informed choice. "Marketing claims and social media may create pressure to switch products, even if they are unsuitable for an individual," adds Dr Ghosh.Proper menstrual routines, like changing products on time, maintaining intimate hygiene and disposing of used products properly are important, according to Dr Indra Nedumaran, senior gynaecologist and obstetrician, VS Hospitals, Chennai. She cautions against overusing intimate washes or antiseptic products during periods, saying, "They can kill the good bacteria that protect the vagina. For most women, soap and water are enough." Wearing a pad for too long or not cleaning reusable products can increase the risk of rashes, fungal and bacterial infections and, in some cases, urinary or reproductive tract infections. A 2015 study published in PLOS One found an association between menstrual hygiene practices and urogenital symptoms among women in Odisha. A 2018 study in BMC Infectious Diseases linked poor menstrual hygiene with lower reproductive tract infections."Awareness, too, is key. Parents should start talking about menstruation when they notice the first signs of puberty, not after the first period," says Dr Nedumaran. "Preparing a girl helps her cope with puberty with confidence instead of fear." She recommends that girls who have just started menstruating begin with sanitary pads or period panties, and explore menstrual cups and tampons later.There is still a long way to go. "Awareness has improved significantly, but many girls, particularly in rural areas, still face misinformation, stigma and limited access to menstrual products and sanitation facilities," says Dr Sharma. Access must increase so no girl in India has to muster courage before asking for a pad. - Ends