Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo, Health Reporter
WOMEN and girls will now have the luxury to choose from two additional sanitary wear options which have been launched to address menstrual hygiene issues in Zimbabwe.
The two cutting edge sanitary wear were introduced in Harare on Tuesday during the launch of the Menstrual Health Specialists Trust which will work with the Government and other organisations to ensure vulnerable women and girls are provided with safe sanitary wear.
In a statement, Ms Ernestine Paterson said the trust is engaging with partners able to supply plastic free products.
“This exciting new trust aims to collaborate with industry leaders; NGOs and the Government to make sure vulnerable women and girls of Zimbabwe are provided with safe, affordable, sustainable and eco- friendly sanitary wear. We are also launching the Viva Lily Period underwear designed to look and feel like a normal underwear,” said Ms Peterson.
According to the trust, the period pants hold up to two tampons worth of menstrual blood, are washable and reusable for up to two years.
“The pants are the most innovative, cutting edge products in menstrual care on the market today. The Viva Lily pants are ideal for younger girls, women who don’t wish to insert a product and as a back up to regular sanitary product,” she said.
Ms Peterson said the trust was launched to provide a range of sanitary wear which include the Butterfly menstrual cup which has already been approved by Government and has been published in the Central African Journal of Medicine.
‘The menstrual cup is a reusable silicone product designed to be worn internally and the cup lasts for up to 10 years,” said Ms Peterson.
The use of unhygienic material in place of sanitary pads by the girl child has become a worrying factor for health experts as well as concerned organisations and individuals in Zimbabwe.
Research carried out by some organisations shows that some girls resort to using unhygienic alternatives such as newspapers, rags, leaves, tissue paper and cow dung, among others because they cannot afford sanitary pads or tampons. — @thamamoe
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