* There are various banishing myths
* surrounding menstruation in Pakistan
* Adolescent girls are told not to take bath, drink cold water
* or eat spicy foods when on their period
* These are just some of the myths about menstruation
* Cultural and religious restrictions also contribute
* to banishment of a menstruating woman
* Ironically, a natural process responsible for
* very existence of human race, is considered a taboo
* Withholding of information from girls prior to their first period
* makes them too ignorant about menstruation hygiene facilities
* In many countries, women have started
* breaking silence about their periods
* as part of ‘menstrual activism’
* They are sharing pictures of blood-stained sheets
* on social media to challenge the stigma
* associated with menstruation
* Activists say the subject should not be hidden
* But in Pakistan, the taboo remains largely unchallenged so far
* In 2016, a few students of BNU, Lahore did initiate a campaign
* to break the stigma by putting up messages
* on sanitary pads over a college wall
* However, while there were messages of support,
* the response was mainly negative and
* the university faced backlash on social media
* Will an open debate on the subject
* begin in Pakistan anytime soon?