There is a lack of awareness concerning the correct use of menstrual hygiene products in India. This is deeply concerning because studies have revealed the nonuse of hygienic methods during menstruation to be a contributing factor for reproducing health morbidity among women besides general infections and diseases. Most girls rely on home-grown or other readily available material, the latter often being unhygienic and unsanitary.

Only 2 to 3 percent of women in rural India are estimated to use sanitary napkins. The lack of demand results in storekeepers not stocking up on sanitary napkins. This results in women resorting to unhygienic practices during their menstrual cycle, such as filling up old socks with sand and tying them around waists to absorb menstrual blood or taking up old pieces of cloth and using them to absorb blood. Such methods increase the chances of infection and hinder the day-to-day task of a woman during her period.