Menstruation is a natural biological process of women in which the uterus lining of a woman gets thickened during ovulation phase and starts shedding blood when the egg does not fertilize and the blood comes out through their vagina. Even though it happens with every single girl still it is a taboo to even speak about it.

This research paper deals with the issues of the taboo, myths, menstrual hygiene, different practices of women in different religion and cultural, what sort of problems girls and adolescents face in their daily life, this paper sheds light on certain devastating cases under indian law where we get to learn about what all the girls are going through on a daily basis.

The study also looks into the difficulties menstruating people encounter, such as restricted access to sanitary items and insufficient information on menstruation. As essential elements of public health programmes, it promotes comprehensive education on period health and enhanced accessibility to resources related to menstruation hygiene.

To sum up, this study highlights the need of raising people's knowledge and comprehension of menstruation in order to help create circumstances that enable people to effectively manage their menstrual health. By acknowledging the importance of menstruation, society may endeavor to break down barriers, provide fair access to resources, and promote menstrual health.

Introduction
In India out of 1428 million people there are 662.90 million females and 717.10 million males. Even though the representation of the female population is quite impressive, still speaking about the menstrual health of a woman seems to be a shameful act and even to some extent a crime. The topic of menstruation is generally taboo in many cultures, although it has a significant impact on the lives of girls and young women.

In the early years of a young girl's life, menstrual hygiene, a phrase that includes the methods and supplies used to control menstruation, becomes increasingly important to her health and wellbeing. The present study aims to investigate the various aspects of menstrual hygiene and establish it as a crucial marker of the general well-being and self-determination of young women and girls.

Almost half of all people on the planet experience menstruation, which is an inherent biological process. Menstrual health is a global topic, yet conversations about it are frequently shrouded in stigma and social taboos. In order to better understand menstruation hygiene as an essential part of a girl's overall health rather than just a physical function, this paper aims to peel back these layers of concealment.

An education about cleanliness habits, the availability of sanitary goods, and the larger socio-cultural background that influences girls' experiences navigating this phase of their lives are all part of proper menstrual hygiene practices, which go beyond controlling the flow of menstrual blood. Menstrual hygiene has a significant impact on physical and mental health as well as, ultimately, the empowerment of girls and adolescents, which is why it should be seen as a critical indication.

This research aims to establish a supportive environment for girls to manage their menstrual health with dignity and to ensure that it is not just a footnote in their journey to adulthood but a fundamental aspect of their overall well-being by thoroughly examining the various facets of menstrual hygiene.

What is Menstruation?

Menstrual hygiene is an important issue in india. Any girl, woman, non-binary person who identifies themselves as such can menstruate. In a developing country people face problems to even meet the basic needs of our daily life but India, though a developing nation, is the fastest growing economy in the world thus there must be proper discussion regarding women's needs.

Nearly all girls menstruate each month and among them mostly use Tampons (4.2%), cloth pads (4.5%), and disposable menstrual pads (89.0%) are the most popular forms of period hygiene products across all age groups. Only 1.6% of people used a menstruation cup. Now coming to the basics, menstruation is a process where each and every month girls bleed because of unfertilization of their eggs released from their ovaries.

To elaborate it, girls every month release eggs from their ovaries and during this process the uterus lining gets thickened with blood, when the egg is not fertilized by any sperm it degenerates and the wall of the uterus breaks down releasing all the blood which comes out through the vagina. A girl starts menstruating at the age of 13-14 years and it comes to an end at the age of 45 years. The starting of menstruation is called menarche and the ending is called menopause.

Understanding the Importance of Menstrual Hygiene for Girls and Adolescents:

India is a developing country and there is a taboo regarding menstrual health. There are lots of myths regarding it, for instance in hindus you can't enter in the puja room during menses, in muslims you cannot touch the holy book or even pray the namaz, in some rural places it is considered to be a unholy thing and you can't even enter the kitchen, in some tribals a girl who is menstruating must go and stay away from there home to a menstrual hut and can only come back if they have completed the term.

Even there is a case where due to the illegal practice of chhaupadi, which forces menstruation women to live in huts outside of their houses, a 16-year-old girl from Nepal has passed away. There are some social practices as well where the girls refrain themselves from religious practices, taking medicine, eating pickles, attending guests, cooking and so on.

Another case regarding menstruation was that in maharashtra A young girl passed away after being tormented for several days by her 30-year-old brother, who believed that the blood from his sister's monthly flow was the consequence of sex. The 12-year-old girl was experiencing her first menstrual period in Ulhasnagar, Maharashtra

Girls also miss their school during these days just to avoid social stigma and in turn their studies get affected by it. The factors that consider these things are lack of awareness among people, an average Indian woman is hesitant to speak about menstruation in front of men and they feel that this topic should not be discussed as it is a very private matter.

Men on the other hand aren't mostly aware about the topic because they feel very uncomfortable to even discuss anything related to sexuality, menstruation and or reproduction. In schools most teachers try to skip the reproductive health chapter as they feel it's annoying to discuss in front of students. Another factor beside it is lack of availability of resources, conventional pads are expensive and contain a lot of toxic chemicals.

The fibres of sanitary pads are bleached with chlorine to give them a sterile and clean look. Dioxin, a highly harmful contaminant produced during this bleaching process, can lead to endometriosis, hormone imbalance, pelvic inflammatory disease, and even cancer. tampons although resuable are not acciseble because mostly are unaware about how to use it in a correct way.

Other than this, rural girls mostly use cotton clothes during their menses which is very harmful and can even lead to problems like bacterial infection, difficulty in pregnancy, infertility and so on.

Educating girls about Menstruation:

Educating girls about menstruation is very essential for many reasons. As much of India is rural, the practices are quite distinctive compared to urban areas. Most rural people believe in black magic, superstations and thus they also believe menstruation as unholy. In hindu religion there is a mythology that is often associated with Indra's killing of Vritras, this myth has its roots in the Vedic era.

Because women have assumed some of Indra's guilt, the Veda declares that the guilt of killing a brahmana-murder manifests itself every month as menstrual flow. In muslims a menstruating girl is considered "napak" which means impure and to purify one needs to bathe using soil as their cleaning agent.

To eradicate such beliefs we should do the following things, they are as follows:

1. Encourage Menstruation Hygiene: Comprehending appropriate hygiene practices during the menstrual cycle contributes to infection prevention and promotes general health.
2. Dispelling Myths and Reducing Stigma: Education dispels myths and lessens the stigma associated with menstruation, promoting a more positive attitude in society.
3. Empowering Girls: Having knowledge about menstruation gives girls the confidence to handle their periods, which improves their wellbeing and sense of self.
4. Preventing School Absences: Girls who receive the right education are less likely to leave work or school because of their menstruation, which encourages regular attendance and scholastic achievement.

According to a report published in 2015�16 by "Menstrual Hygiene Management: National Family Health Survey 4" 42%of women in the 15�24 age group use sanitary napkins, 62% use cloth, and 16% use napkins that are manufactured locally.

Overall, a hygienic technique of menstruation protection is used by 58% of women in this age range. 71.4% of women (15�24 years old) in rural areas use cloth sanitary napkins; the percentage of women who use locally made napkins is 14.8% and 33.6%, respectively.

Critical analysis of some case laws:
Case facts: In the case of Lakshmi Priya v. K.V. Krishnamurthy, 2006 SCC OnLine Mad 1146, the petition for the termination of marriage has been submitted by the petitioner-husband. He asserts that the termination is due to irregular menstruation, which the wife is said to have concealed prior to marriage. The spouse claims he has suffered cruelty and mental anguish as a result of the marriage not working out.

The main claim in the case is that the wife's health-related information was hidden, which caused the marriage to fail. The lower court comes to a decision of dissolving the marriage while the appellant wife was willing to stay with her husband. Later when it was decided in a higher court it was found that the husband was willingly not consummating with his wife and he entirely blamed it on the wife. It was also found that he was not paying her to even see a doctor for her irregular menstrual problems.

Decision: the higher court decided that the petition of the husband regarding the dissolution of marriage was set aside.

Case facts:
A writ application was filed in the public interest in the case of Nirjhari Mukul Sinha v. Union of India, seeking redress in response to an incident involving 68 females in a hostel run by respondent No. 5. There are allegations that these girls underwent a strip test. The writ applicants argue that this practice violates women's basic, legal, and human rights since it discriminates against them based on their menstrual status.

Particularly mentioned in articles 14, 15, 17, 19, and 21 of the constitution. The learned Additional Solicitor General of India, Mr. Vyas, has been directed by the court to support this public interest lawsuit. The case seems to be an attempt to challenge the constitutionality of the practice of putting girls through strip tests because of their menstrual status.

Analysis
From the above two cases we can conclude that girls getting irregular menstruation now has become a ground for divorce and secondly, anyone can strip test women for the sake of knowing whether she is menstruating or not.

Issues that arise:

• Whether a woman can be a subject of divorce just because she suffers from menstrual irregularity?
• Is stripping girls because they are menstruating violating their fundamental rights?
• Why is there a lack of taboo and myths regarding menstruation?
• Is there proper legislation in India regarding menstruation of women?

Probable solutions:
Divorce due to irregular menstruation:
Menstrual irregularity is not regarded as a legal basis for divorce in the majority of contemporary legal systems, including many Indian jurisdictions. Legal grounds for divorce usually stem from things like cruelty, adultery, or irreconcilable differences that have a significant impact on the marriage.

Menstruating Girls Stripping:
Girls' fundamental rights are violated when they are stripped or subjected to any kind of humiliation because of their menstruation. Such acts violate international human rights standards as well as the rights to equality, privacy, and dignity. Such actions are frowned upon in many places, and people who participate in them risk legal repercussions.

Absence of Myths and Taboos Around Menstruation:
Education, knowledge, and cultural shifts are all part of the continuous societal transition towards the elimination of taboos and myths around menstruation. These taboos are being broken down in part by initiatives to dispel falsehoods, encourage candid conversations, and educate men and women about menstruation. Global progress, however, varies, and opinions regarding menstruation are greatly influenced by cultural customs.

Indian Laws Concerning Menstruation:
In India, the significance of menstruation health and cleanliness is becoming more widely acknowledged. The government has launched programmes to encourage access to sanitary products and education about menstrual hygiene. Though there may not be a single piece of legislation devoted exclusively to menstruation, there are a number of laws and policies that address related issues, and awareness of the subject is expanding.

Laws relating to menstrual hygiene in India
Although menstruation is not specifically covered by law in India, there are policies and programmes that address menstrual health, such as the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme run by the National Health Mission. These initiatives seek to enhance menstrual hygiene product accessibility and cost while also lowering stigma and increasing awareness.

NGOs and advocacy groups are essential in advancing laws that support menstrual health. In india there are several laws and guidelines relating to the menstrual hygiene of girls and adolescents, they are as follows:

• The guidelines for managing menstrual hygiene (MHM Guidelines): The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation released these guidelines in December 2015. They lay out the steps that state and district administrations, engineers, technical experts, school head teachers, and educators must take to assist all adolescent girls and women in managing their menstrual hygiene.
   
• The 2016 Solid Waste Management Rules: The Central and State Governments are legally obligated to handle sanitary napkins as solid trash under these regulations, which were released by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. The regulations also stress how important it is to dispose of used sanitary napkins properly.
   
• The Guidelines for the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-G): These recommendations, which are a crucial component of the Swachh Bharat Mission, emphasize the need for managing menstruation hygiene. They offer a range of choices for managing trash, including sanitary waste, and reducing pollution.
   
• Workplace policies: Workplace policies that let women take paid time off during their menstrual cycle are known as menstrual leave policies. This strategy aims to address the mental and physical difficulties, like pain, exhaustion, and mood swings, that many women have during their menstrual period. In India, with time, the workplace law for women has also been changed. Now, the organization's female employees are eligible for up to 12 period leaves annually as part of the revised leave policy. Women workers are entitled to one period leave credit each month, which can be used for one full day or two half-day leaves.

Availability of menstrual products and their controversy:
Throughout their lives, women will typically have 450 periods, or 3,500 days of menstruation. In a lifetime, that's more than 10,000 period item. Since every woman is different, the number will undoubtedly fluctuate, but since a woman will experience numerous cycles over your life, it is crucial to get recognised.

Earlier pads were heavily taxed with 12% GST, but after a protest led by Sushmita Devi, a lawmaker who launched a petition to reduce the tax by 70% gained 400,000 and different court challenges finally, the government removed the taxes on sanitary napkins. This was done for the availability of menstrual products so that the prices do not skyrocket and thus the products can be available to every woman.

Conclusion:
Celebrating periods:
There are several social advantages to period celebrations and the promotion of a happy menstrual mindset. Menstruation has historically been associated with shame, stigma, and cultural taboos. Nonetheless, encouraging a positive outlook about menstruation might lead to a number of advantageous effects:

In south india "Ritusuddhi" a cultural practice where the parents of the girl child celebrates her first period, When a girl hits puberty in, there is a coming-of-age ritual or rites of passage to celebrate. She begins the ceremony wearing a brand-new langa voni. Her maternal uncle then gives her her first sari, which she dons for the second part of the ritual. This is the beginning of her womanhood.

In Odisha, India, there is a four-day celebration called "Raja Parba", or "Mithuna Sankranti". The celebration is significant from both a cultural and agricultural standpoint, with a different aspect representing each day. The start of Mother Earth's menstrual cycle, or Pahili Raja, causes a brief stop to agricultural activity.

The primary holiday, Mithuna Sankranti, marks the beginning of the monsoon and is marked with traditional games and cultural activities for women. Basi Raja observes that agricultural labour has resumed as it is thought that Mother Earth is starting to heal. Vasumati Snana, the last day of the festival, is marked by a ceremonial bath for women that represents purity.

In Assam, "Toloni Biya", also called Tuloni Biya, is a ceremonial ceremony commemorating a girl's initiation of menstruation. The word "Biya" means marriage and refers to the girl's symbolic marriage. The community prays for her reproductive health throughout the event, which also educates her about menstruation and reproduction. In addition to the festivities, the girl is typically isolated with a veil, subjected to dietary limitations, confined to a particular chamber, and forbidden from interacting with men. These customs are meant to protect and respect her passage into womanhood.

Reducing Stigma:
Menstruation is no longer stigmatized when people celebrate their periods. Negative preconceptions can be refuted and understanding can be fostered through candid conversations and positive representations in the media and society.

Empowering People:
By promoting period celebrations, society can enable people, particularly women and menstruating individuals, to accept and even celebrate their normal biological processes without feeling guilty. A higher sense of confidence and self-worth results from this empowerment.

Information and Awareness:
More information and awareness about menstruation can be facilitated by having positive attitudes about it. It promotes candid discussions about reproductive rights, cleanliness, and menstrual health.

One of the most important aspects of menstruation health and hygiene is promoting access to safe and sanitary products. People may face a number of difficulties as a result of not having access to appropriate menstruation products, including poor cleanliness, health problems, and difficulties getting an education or engaging in daily activities.

Encouraging access to sanitary and safe menstruation products is crucial for the following reasons:

Well-being and Personal Cleanliness:
Having access to sanitary and safe menstruation products is crucial for preserving general and reproductive health. Menstrual hygiene errors can result in infections and other health issues.

Respect and Welfare:
Maintaining proper menstrual hygiene is beneficial to one's well being and sense of dignity.People can comfortably and confidently control their menstrual cycle when they have access to the right goods.

Promoting sustainable menstrual product:
Reusable menstrual cups are an affordable and environmentally beneficial alternative. They are constructed of medical-grade silicone, rubber, latex, or elastomer and can be reused for several years.

Reusable Cloth Pads:
A more environmentally friendly option to disposable pads, these may be washed and reused. Period Underwear: Reusable and washable absorbent underwear that offers a pleasant and environmentally friendly choice.