On the other hand, 61.7 per cent cited high financial pressure, followed by a lack of safe and appropriate nurseries at 54 per cent, higher demand for housing at 41.6 per cent, while 24.3 per cent cited the impact it could have on a woman’s career and employment opportunities.

Among other aspects of menstrual hygiene, this year’s survey specifically aimed to gauge the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown in India on periods in women. The survey revealed that more than 41 per cent of women experienced an unusually irregular gap in their periods.

This is startling because only 13.7 per cent of women who participated in the survey said they were infected with COVID-19. As many as 64.5 per cent of women said that the current COVID times had impacted their stress and anxiety levels, which could be a possible reason for irregularity in the gap between two menstrual periods in so many women.