Water and Sanitary Pad Crisis: Palestinian Women Opt for Menstrual Suppression Pills

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reports that not all women in Palestine have access to sanitary pads or other suitable materials for managing menstruation.

A 2021 report, *Children in the State of Palestine*, indicates that only 78.8% of Palestinian women use appropriate menstrual materials and have access to private facilities for washing and changing clothes at home.

Meanwhile, 13.9% of women typically do not participate in social activities, school, or work due to menstruation.

Based on these findings, UNICEF emphasizes the importance of raising awareness and knowledge among girls, particularly those attending school in Palestine.

"Raising awareness about menstrual hygiene materials and practices, and promoting hygiene," UNICEF recommends in the report.

Menstruation is closely linked to water and sanitation. The same report states that only 59.4% of households have sanitation facilities within their homes. Another 22.1% have sanitation facilities in their yards or land.

This situation worsened after the Israeli attacks on Palestine on October 8, 2023. According to an *Al Jazeera* report cited by *CNBC Indonesia*, Palestinian women have been forced to take norethisterone tablets, a medication typically prescribed to manage heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis, and menstrual pain.

According to Dr. Walid Abu Hatab, a consultant in obstetrics and gynecology at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Khan Younis, these tablets maintain high progesterone levels to prevent the uterus from shedding its lining, thus delaying menstruation.

While this medication is legal, it has serious side effects, including irregular vaginal bleeding, nausea, dizziness, mood changes, and menstrual cycle disruptions.

This option has become necessary due to the scarcity of sanitary pads and the water crisis affecting Palestine during the Israeli bombardment.

According to resident Salma Khaled, many shops and pharmacies are experiencing shortages of sanitary pads. Damage to main roads in the Gaza Strip caused by Israeli bombing has significantly hampered the delivery of medical products from warehouses to pharmacies. Conversely, menstruation-delaying medication is generally more readily available in some pharmacies due to lower consumer demand.