By Funmi Falae
More than 100 adolescent girls from Jemiriye Secondary School and Ekiti Baptist Secondary School, Igede Ekiti, have received age-appropriate education on menstrual hygiene management and comprehensive sexuality education during a school outreach organised by the Media for Health and Human Development (MEHUMD) Foundation under the campaign slogan, “Periods are Natural, So Stay Clean and Healthy.”
The outreach was organised to address misinformation, menstrual stigma and limited access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information, which continue to affect the health, confidence, and well-being of many adolescent girls.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mrs. Jumoke Makinde, the Project Manager said the initiative was designed to replace harmful myths with factual information, reduce menstrual stigma and empower girls with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions about their health.
She also noted that educating girls and providing menstrual hygiene materials would help them remain healthy, stay confident in school and make informed choices during adolescence.
The programme combined menstrual hygiene education with age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education as Participants received information on puberty, menstrual hygiene management, personal hygiene, consent, healthy relationships, prevention of sexual abuse and where to access reliable sexual and reproductive health information and support.
The medical sessions were facilitated by Nurse Bolaji Ayodele, who educated the participants on the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty, proper menstrual hygiene practices and other aspects of adolescent sexual and reproductive health. She encouraged the girls to maintain good hygiene, seek accurate information from qualified healthcare professionals and report cases of abuse or health concerns to trusted adults.
Interactive discussions enabled the girls to ask questions openly and receive evidence-based answers from health professionals.
Some of the participants described the outreach as enlightening, saying it corrected misconceptions they previously held about menstruation and puberty while boosting their confidence to discuss reproductive health issues with their parents, teachers and healthcare providers.
While the intervention reached more than 100 girls in the two schools and provided practical support through the distribution of sanitary pads, the Foundation stressed that many adolescents still lack access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information and menstrual hygiene products.
The Organization therefore called for sustained collaboration among government, schools, parents, healthcare professionals, development partners and the media to expand similar interventions and ensure that more girls have the knowledge, skills and resources needed to manage menstruation safely and make informed decisions about their health.
