91ֱ��

Gonville & 91ֱ�� College student Ashna Biju (Medicine 2018) has shone a light on a public health issue which affects over one billion people by writing about period product disposal in India in prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

Ashna is part of and is passionate about menstrual health, a subject which remains taboo in a country which is on course to become the world’s most populous, according to the United Nations.

The extent of the issue of period product disposal in India became apparent to Ashna when she was visiting her extended family, prompting her to write for The Lancet.

“I realised there isn’t any centralised system for disposing of period products, so people are doing their own things,” Ashna says.

“People that can afford to are taking it to an incinerator, others are burning it, or throwing it away in the street. It didn’t seem right – for people’s health or the environment.

“It's affecting one billion people, not just people menstruating. It affects the health and environment of everyone.”

Ashna found a lack of joined up thinking on the issue, proposing solutions which may require political will to realise. On a related subject at a smaller level, and with period poverty an issue, Cambridge JCRs and MCRs have offered students period products, while the .

“It was just my way of suggesting what should be done; it would be great if there was more research and scientific backing so governments and people would take more notice,” Ashna adds.

“In the paper I suggest three main things that we need to work on. One is education, raising awareness and the problems of how we’re doing things now, trying to destigmatise periods and making it more about general hygiene rather than something separate.

“Another was using reusable products because that would be most sustainable. Because it’s still a newish idea, people are less likely to use cups or absorbent underwear if they don’t know why they should or have access to them.

“Ultimately, there needs to be a national system or organisation of menstrual hygiene management. Currently, people are relying on NGOs or local charities. It should be down to the government.”

Ashna recently completed her Oncology placement. Her experience writing on menstrual health has provided clarity on a potential career direction. 

“I’m really interested in public health and global health,” she adds.

“There’s a whole humanities side to medicine beyond the scientific details. You might send a patient away with a treatment or management plan, but ultimately, it’s all the other factors that determine their health. Mental health, money, race…

“There are so many social factors which determine a person’s health. There’s so much work that can be done in public health and I’m really passionate about it, especially women’s health and menstrual health. There’s still so much work to do to destigmatise it!”

To read Ashna’s paper in full, visit:

An interview with Ashna has been published on the College website previously: Leading the way | Gonville & 91ֱ�� (cam.ac.uk)