Thaba Tseka November 14 – Reluctant to raise her voice for fear that other community members would hear her story, a 28-year-old woman from Ha Peterosi disclosed that she uses skin hides as sanitary towels as she cannot afford to purchase them monthly.
Mrs. Mareitumetse Lesofe stated this in an interview with the Agency on Wednesday saying she decided to use animal hides as it is free, easily accessible, and more comfortable compared to cloth.
She says that has saved her from the monthly struggle of figuring out where the money will come from to purchase the sanitary towels as she cannot afford them.
“Using animal hides (sheep) has helped as I no longer tore my t-shirts every month to make sanitary towels and has saved my clothes as in most cases I had to throw the cloths or burn them for I did not have soap to keep them clean,” she stated.
She said she started using animal hides at 17 after getting married as her husband was not employed and they could not afford to buy them. “It is so easy to get the animal hide as we live in a sharing community, that has lots of small livestock farmers, so when they have slaughtered one, it is easier to ask for a small piece it keeps rolling,’ she highlighted.
She mentioned she was unaware of the dangers she might be exposed to as she has never discussed that with anyone for it embarrasses her.
With tears welling up in her eyes, a 16-year-old adolescent mother, wearing a well-fitting red jersey that needed washing indicated it was her first time owning a pack of sanitary towels.
Lineo Moloi from Liseleng a breastfeeding adolescent mother to an 11-month-old baby said since she started menstruating, she had never used sanitary towels except in December 2023 after giving birth in the hospital. It was her first time to touch, feel, and use sanitary towels.
She said for the past three years she had been using two torn pieces of a blanket that were introduced to her by her mother who could not afford to buy her the sanitary towels. She started her menses in 2021 at 13.
“I would soak my uniform in blood as the cloth could not sustain my heavy flow, and it was very embarrassing, and could not stand up where I seated for fear I might be mocked and laughed at,” she said.
She said, she, therefore, decided to skip classes during her periods so that she could manage the condition.
Moloi mentioned that her menstrual periods usually lasted for days and would use old pieces interchangeably and once her periods ended, she would keep the used cloth in a plastic bag to keep them safe for the next months.
She said after giving birth she has not started her periods as she is still breastfeeding.
A very jolly Mrs. ‘M’amamello Janki from Liseleng aged 50 laughingly said to date she still uses a cloth as she cannot afford to buy sanitary towels.
“I use three pieces of T-shirts which I safely keep after finishing my periods. I am unemployed and therefore cannot afford to buy sanitary towels for myself and my three girls, we use cloths and life goes on,” she said.
She said she is not aware of complications that may be caused by using a cloth.
At times, they are very smelly, and one feels like isolating oneself from other people for fear they might feel the smell and undermine me.
Using animal hides as sanitary towels can easily translate diseases such as anthrax, mites, mycoplasma, staphylococcus, and streptococcus, to women.
A 17-year-old girl from Manamaneng with tears rolling down her eyes said since she cannot afford to buy a full pack of sanitary towels every month, she uses one sanitary repeatedly if it is not too soiled.
“After bathing I recycle the sanitary towel so that the four or three that I managed to buy sustain me for the entire period phase,” she stated.
She said she gets jock itches every month but has no alternative as her family cannot invest in sanitary towels when there is nothing to eat in the house. She said her period lasts four days.
In an interview with the Agency on Wednesday district Veterinarian Peter Sangarwe indicated that such practices must be avoided to ensure their health and safety as that can expose them to diseases like cancer.
Thaba Tseka Sexual Rights Health Mentor Kontjoase Sekonyela says using cloths and skin hides may harm reproductive health as they require washing and cleaning after each use but are not properly cleaned.
She said some are kept wet and may be susceptible to mould adding that some are not even dried in the sun for fear they might be stigmatized for not using disposable pads.
She added that some use harmful soaps or detergents that may cause diseases. “The use of those may cause cervical cancer, bladder infections leading to yellowish, concentrated urine, colourful discharge (yellow and green),” she added.
She concluded by saying not only the cloths and skin hides are harmful but the fragranced bath soaps too.
It is also reported that if the user has a candidiasis (yeast) infection, special care needs to be taken as using cloths or skin hides can cause reinfection if not sterilized.
Reports indicate that most anthrax infections occur during cutaneous and the disease occurs when the bacteria enters a cut or scratch in the skin.
The struggle is not only recognised in Lesotho as reports indicate that rural women and girls in Mongu district, Western Province of Zambia use powered cow dung as an absorbent material inside cloth pads.
It is reported that these women claim reusable sanitary pads are too expensive for them to buy they feel cow dung is the only answer because it is traditional, local, cheaper to make and it has been used by their parents’ “foremothers” way back before the introduction of the pads that are in the shops or markets today with no health cases reported to health centre concerning cow dung.
It is reported that findings done by the Maboshe Memorial Centre (MMC) from Doctors in obstetrics and gynaecology, show girls and women suffer from gynaecological diseases due to the improper use of sanitary products.
It is also reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) claims 63 percent of gynaecological diseases are caused by poor quality sanitary products as girls and women are vulnerable to infection during this delicate period and weakened immunity can lead to more serious health threats.
MMC says the information gap on menstrual hygiene management among rural girls and women is mainly attributed to a lack of sanitary materials, including underwear, inadequate access to private, safe, and appropriate latrines, bathing facilities, drying areas, and waste disposal mechanisms.
It continued to state that lack of information and knowledge about menstruation (especially adolescent girls) and how to use sanitary materials (including underwear), anxiety and embarrassment around leakage of blood, and discomfort associated with menstruation, lack of sanitary protection materials – leading to embarrassment and stress due to leakage, smell, and teasing.
In Lesotho, it costs an average of M24.00 for a pack of nine or ten pads hence rural women and girls resort to using unconventional means such as skin hides and pieces of cloths.
The situation is not only happening in Lesotho as reports indicate that in the Western Province of Zambia, the high cost of sanitary pads in Western province has made them inaccessible for poor girls and women in rural areas.
Reports continue to indicate that in the Western province, of Zambia, a sanitary pad costs an average of $2 to $5 for a pack of 10 pads, while most families live below the poverty threshold of $1 per day.
It says the high cost of sanitary pads in Western provinces has made them inaccessible for poor girls and women in rural areas.
It continued to state that, rural girls and women consider them expensive as they range from US2 (K20) to US5 (K50) for a pack of 10 pads.
It stated that despite this being the case, most rural girls and women are unable to buy enough pads to see them finish their menstrual period and as a result, some menstruating girls in schools and women resort to using other unconventional means such as children’s diapers, cow dung, and pieces of cloths.
In Lesotho, UNFPA’s mandate regarding Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) focuses on promoting access to quality family planning services, reducing maternal mortality, and empowering women and girls to make informed decisions about their reproductive health by providing comprehensive sexuality education, while working to address issues like gender-based violence and harmful practices, all with the aim of ensuring every pregnancy is wanted and every childbirth is safe; effectively advocating for policies and legislation that support SRHR access for all citizens of Lesotho.
UNFPA key aspects on SRHR mandate in Lesotho include supporting the provision of diverse contraceptive methods and increasing awareness about family planning options to reduce unmet needs, improving access to quality antenatal care, skilled birth attendants, and postpartum care to reduce preventable maternal deaths.
UNFPA also focuses on providing adolescent-friendly SRH services and education to address the specific needs of young people, working to combat gender-based violence through awareness campaigns, support services for survivors, and advocacy for legal reforms and collaborating with the government to develop and implement policies that promote SRHR and address barriers to access.
As part of the intervention following the Prime Minister’s clarion call for assistance as the nation is hit by poverty brought on by drought, UNFPA started outreaches aimed at information dissemination, provision of SRH services, and Gender-Based Violence.
The identified 1500 vulnerable households are presented with dignity kits to help redeem women and young girls’ dignity and the kits are provided by UNFPA.
The kits comprise bath, washing soap, toothpaste, bathing towels, and sanitary towels.
