Breaking Barriers in menstrual health

ADITI GUPTA’S MENSTRUPEDIA COMIC IS BREAKING THE MYTHS ABOUT PERIODS AND EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT MENSTRUATION IN A SENSITIVE WAY...

- IKYATHA YERASALA

When she was an  adolescent growing up in Garhwa, Jharkand, just like any other girl, Aditi Gupta got her period. But what she wasn't prepared for was the taboo and regressive attitude towards menstruation in her conservative society. This experience impacted Aditi to such an extent that she decided to do something about it when she was studying at NID with her now husband Tuhin Paul. That's how the novel idea of Menstrupedia Comic was born.

Menstrupedia is an initiative that uses comic books and relatable media to destigmatise menstruation. Having been a menstrual educator for 8 years, Aditi has been featured as a Forbes India 30 Under 30 achiever and is also a TED Speaker. She also has several other accolades in her kitty including being named as one of BBC's 100 influential women of 2015 and has been a World

Economic Forum Global Shaper. The entrepreneur, who is changing the lives of girls and young women across the country, opens up about her journey in this exclusive interview.

Tell us a little about your background and growing up years.

I had an amazing childhood where my brother and I would fish in the river nearby, chase fireflies etc. Growing up, it was challenging to deal with menstruation because it was a huge taboo back then. I got my period in class 7, but the biology chapter about menstruation was available only in the 9th standard. My biology teacher was male, so the chapter about menstruation was skipped altogether. Nobody knew what periods were. When we got our period, we had to follow rules as if we were untouchable where we couldn't touch holy things or touch pickle as we were told it will go bad. We were considered pure only after the 7th day of our period only once we washed our hair. I didn't have access to sanitary napkins as there was a taboo around buying them.