As the price of sanitary pads continue to surge, health practitioners in Yenagoa, the State capital have urged young women and girls to maintain proper personal hygiene to avoid infections.

The call became necessary as the use of old wrappers, tissue paper and other local ways for menstruation lingered predominantly among women in the 70’s and 80’s are beginning to resurface due to high cost of sanitary pads across the country.‎Sanitary pads, which sold for between N200 and N250 some years ago, now cost between N800 and N1000 for the cheapest brands, while some sell for as high as N3500 as dealers attribute the increase to inflation and import-related challenges. The dramatic surge in sanitary pads have forced millions of low-income earners especially women with several female children to face steep costs, resorting to the use of baby diapers, unhygienic alternatives and wearing one pad for a long period of time, raising the risk of reproductive and urinary tract infections. 

‎In an interview, a registered Nurse with the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, Mrs. Benjamin Lovina and a retired Nurse and Social Welfare Officer, Mrs. Leticia Aboghe said if the practice is left unchecked, it would lead to severe infection that might result to infertility. ‎They advised female folks especially low-income earners to reserve a particular towel for the purpose of monthly flow to avoid infection.