Periods Matter

The United Nations define adolescents as persons aged between 10-19 yearsfor statistical purposes. Between puberty and maturity, adolescence is a phase oftransition and development. There is approximately 1198.7 million adolescentworldwide (the United Nations' World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision,June 2013) and as per census 2011, India comprises 253.2 million adolescentsconstituting 20.9% of the total population of the country which estimates that everyfifth person in India is an adolescent. The number of Adolescents living in ruralareas was 180.7 million as per census 2011 accounting for 72% of the total adolescentpopulation of the nation. While Uttar Pradesh ranks first with the maximum numberof adolescents comprising 24.8% of the total population of the state, Uttarakhand,the carved state of Uttar Pradesh (since 2000) on the other hand comprises a total of23% of adolescents In rural areas of its total population (Census. 2011).Adolescents learn from their peers' social behaviour and the environment inwhich they live during this time. (Ramadass. et.al., 2017). It is also a span of theirgrowth extending from the immaturity of childhood to the physical and psychologicalmaturity of adulthood. (WHO,1989). Around the age of 10-13, girls begin toexperience physical growth spurts. They usually begin breast development in theirtenth year, genital growth in their eleventh year, and menstruation in their twelfthyear. For the next three years, the growing process continues, and all secondarysexual traits emerge (Petterson & Hale, 1985). Sexual development often occurs inthree stages-pre-pubescence, pubescence and post-pubescence. Prepubescence ischaracterised by increased bodily growth, particularly of the reproductive organs, aswell as the emergence of secondary sex traits, including menstruation.Menstruation is a natural physical process that occurs as a by-product of abiological event. It is the visible manifestation of periodic uterine bleeding sloughedfrom the endometrium. In other words, It is the monthly bleeding of non-pregnantwomen of childbearing age (Chawla, 1992). Although menstrual bleeding is a re