Menstrual Hygiene Day Date in the current year: May 28, 2024

Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated by WASH United, a German-based non-profit organization that strives to end the global sanitation and hygiene crisis. In 2013, WASH United launched a 28-day social media campaign to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene management, and the next year it organized the first Menstrual Hygiene Day that was celebrated by many people around the world. Today, the annual campaign is supported by more than 270 global partners.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 28 because of the symbolism of this date. The average length of the human menstrual cycle is 28 days, and the menstruation itself lasts for about 5 days (and May is the 5th month of the year). The main goals of Menstrual Hygiene Day include breaking menstrual taboos which still exist in some societies where menstruating women are considered ritually unclean, as well as spreading information about proper menstrual hygiene.

There are two main aspects of menstrual hygiene management: using special products designed to absorb or catch menstrual blood (pads, tampons, menstrual cups, etc.) and washing the genital area several times a day. Unfortunately, in many countries (for example, parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia) women and adolescent girls don’t have access to menstrual products and/or safe water. That’s why one of the most important goals of Menstrual Hygiene Day is to cooperate with governments to ensure that hygiene products are more accessible.