According to the latest National Family Health Survey, 50% of women aged between 15-24 years still use cloth for menstrual protection. Experts believe that lack of awareness and taboo are the factors contributing to the reuse of unclean cloth and exposure to infections.

As per the survey data, the other percentages are accounted for 64% of ladies using sanitary napkins, 15% of ladies using locally prepared napkins with the overall figure around 78% of women in the specified age group using hygienic menstrual protection.

Bihar (59%), Madhya Pradesh (61%), and Meghalaya (65%) were the states having the lowest percentage of women using hygienic protection. The survey highlighted the relation between education, wealth, and hygienic menstrual protection - stated Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, the Population Foundation of India .

Women in the highest wealth quintile (95%) were more likely to use hygienic protection than women of lower status (54%). Also, the disparity caused by the financial status is further demonstrated by the higher number of ladies using clothes for menstrual protection, i.e., 57.2% in comparison to ladies in urban cities (31.5%).

Ranjana Kumari, a social activist, and director of the Centre for Social Research stated that taboo and awareness are the two important aspects of understanding menstruation. She also added that even after schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushdhi Pariyojna (PMBJP) under which sanitary napkins are made available at Rs 1, girls shy away from asking their parents as they have to inform them about their menstruating status.