A 14-year-old girl in Mumbai committed suicide as she was stressed about the pain due to her first period, according to Indian news platform India Today.
The girl had no knowledge about the menstrual cycle due to which she was forced to take the extreme step, says the police report.
The unfortunate incident took place late on March 26. The teenager informed her family members about her first period and said she was experiencing extreme pain.
The young girl became restless as she could not bear the pain due to her period and subsequently hung herself in the room. The victim’s family took her to a nearby hospital, but she was declared dead upon her arrival.
A post-mortem of the body was conducted and no foul play was found, according to media reports.
The incident has raised concerns over the lack of awareness and information regarding the menstrual cycle especially among children.
In a survey by BeBadass.in, 60 percent of girls do not have prior knowledge about their menstrual cycle while 56 percent in India consider it a taboo. A shocking 38 percent believe the first occurrence to be an injury or a disease.
This is not about India alone as menstrual hygiene and seeking knowledge about it is seen as a taboo across South Asia. Sad incidents like these stress the need to have proper counselling with teenagers on menstruation and how to deal with it.
