Health experts and advocates for the girl child have called on the Federal Ministry of Health to subsidise the cost of sanitary pads and intensify awareness on menstrual hygiene to protect adolescent girls from infections and other reproductive health complications.
Speaking in an interview, Senior Registrar at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dr Sa’adat Quadri, warned that “many adolescents resort to unsafe alternatives during menstruation due to the high cost of sanitary pads,” exposing them to serious health risks.
She explained that “poor menstrual hygiene can lead to infections in the genital area and other reproductive health problems,” stressing that proper care during the menstrual cycle is essential for overall well-being.
Dr Quadri advised adolescents to seek accurate information about menstruation by speaking openly with their mothers, sisters, or gynaecologists instead of relying on misinformation from peers.
She also cautioned against using a single sanitary pad for an entire day, whether it is soaked or not, noting that “it creates room for germs to grow easily and increases the risk of infection.”
The price of sanitary pads in Nigeria now ranges from N1,000 to N2,500 per pack for regular brands, a sharp increase from the average N450 recorded in 2021, driven by rising inflation and production costs.
Some specialised or premium brands sell for between N2,700 and N5,000 or more per pack, making access to safe menstrual products increasingly difficult for many women and adolescent girls, especially those from low-income households.
Reacting, a girl-child advocate, Hannatu Suleiman Abba, said “Lack of awareness remains one of the major challenges facing adolescents during menstruation.”
She encouraged communities to teach young girls how to make safe reusable sanitary pads, describing them as healthier and more affordable alternatives, while urging the government to make sanitary products accessible for all girls.
