MUMBAI, INDIA – The Blood Report – a pan India social research study of 3500 menstruators outlines the current state of menstrual health and hygiene in the country. RIO Pads, the brand that created India’s first sanitary pad for heavy flow along with Schbang, the creative & technology transformation company conducted a survey to comprehend the current status and the realities of the menstrual landscape in India. The report deep dives into the ground realities and stigma surrounding menstruation at different life stages of menstruators. The two brands aim to present a unified voice of menstruators of different age-groups, genders, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds to the forefront on International Menstrual Hygiene Day (28 May).
The Blood Report by RIO Pads & Schbang, is a call for action for both menstruators and non-menstruators to keep driving forward the progress made by advancing in existing verticals of menstrual health and breaking taboos. The report also throws a spotlight on the state of access to menstrual facilities, level of comfort and menstrual literacy that still needs to be pushed. The study surveyed menstruators from 35 states and union territories of India. Menstruators from the age group of under 14 to above 55 years were considered.
Commenting on the research findings, Kartik Johari, VP Nobel Hygiene, said, “While the report does bring to light some of the harsher realities of menstruation in India, it also acknowledges the silver lining found in young menstruators. Some of the insights were eye openers and some we expected that reaffirmed our belief in the vision for RIO. Even though the menstruation journey in India is convoluted, what emerges clearly is that access, along with education on menstrual hygiene and health, should be sacrosanct. We are taught to question our assumptions to be truly wise; we hope this report makes you question at least one.”
Akshara Vasavda, Creative Lead at Schbang commented on the release, “We hope that brands are able to use this report to craft more nuanced and progressive communication for the very diverse set of menstruators across India. But more importantly, we hope that this serves as a base to begin much needed conversations in the mainstream, around menstruation and all the issues attached to it. While there has been significant progress in the understanding of menstruation, there lies a great opportunity for progress in many domains.”
“Every month 1.8 millions of women menstruate across the globe. It is integral to consider the comfort they experience by actively working against the social stigma, harassment and social exclusion during menstruation.” Dr. Tanveer Aujla, Senior Consultant – Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Noida also added.
Motherhood Hospital comes on board as a hospital partner adding valuable insights from the medical fraternity along with deeper understanding of the subject matter with inputs from the PCOS society of India. Schbang Consumer & Business Research, the company’s research division along with its Integrated Solutions department partnered with 30 influencers, institutions and NGOs to invite 3,500 menstruators to voice their menstrual journeys. The full report will be released on International Menstrual Hygiene Day (28 May) and will see a sustained campaign on the report on all its social media channels.
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/The-RIO-Pads-111702830401404
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/theriopads/
Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAjO_DziaQFzeYTJ39P66cg
The entire report will be available on 28th May 2021 & can be found on: https://www.riopads.in/en/the-blood-report
