What is sanitary protection?
This refers to the materials and methods a woman uses to avoid staining her clothes during menstruation. The ways in which women cope with this monthly need vary greatly. Upper middle class women in urban areas rely on disposable sanitary towels. Poor women use a variety of inexpensive, reusable materials. Cotton cloth torn from an old sari is the most widely used material. These rags are usually held in place with string, and are washed and reused for up to three years. Because of the recent expansion of the clothing industry, panties are now widely available and affordable. A growing number of women find them more comfortable and secure for holding rags in place. Do poor women want disposable sanitary towels? Most women are not able to spend money on sanitary protection. Sabiha, a village woman from Sylhet commented, ‘Disposable sanitary towels would be convenient for any woman as they do not need to be washed and stored, but we cannot think of spending money for menstruation. For us
