In commemoration of the 2025 Menstrual Health Day, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AHF, Nigeria has joined calls for period equity among women and girls.
The foundation stated in a press release that globally, women and girls, particularly in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, face a disproportionate HIV burden, adding that “The lack of access to sanitary pads forces many to miss school, increasing the likelihood of dropping out. This often leads to increased transactional or transgenerational sex, limiting their ability to negotiate safer sex and raising the risk of acquiring HIV.”
To mark the day, it said it is organising an event at WAPI Secondary School Calabar, Cross River State and in Karamajigi community in Abuja, on May 28 to address the stigma, cultural taboos and lack of menstrual hygiene access that undermine dignity and increase HIV risk among women and girls.
The foundation also said it will empower young women and girls, both in-school and out-of-school with the information and knowledge they require for a safe menstrual experience. “Importantly, we shall provide free sanitary pads, both disposable and reusable to young girls in Calabar, Abuja and Makurdi, while calling on government to invest in providing free sanitary pads to young girls, across Nigeria, especially indigent girls who lack access to sanitary pads.
