By Joseph Akim Gordon
Once a girl reaches the age of 10–15, she will experience blood coming out of her private part. Prior to the menstruation period, mothers or female guardians should educate her about monthly menstruation, why it should only happen to girls or women, and the sanitary measures she should take as a precaution, in that this is a natural biological function in the body. It is worth noting that God created a man called Adam because he was lonely. He decided to remove part of his rib and create a woman called Eve. They were living in the garden of Aden, and Aden instructed them to eat all the fruits available in the garden and never to eat a special fruit in the middle of the garden. But one day Eve was deceived by devil to eat the fruit once you eat the fruit of this tree you will become wise like God so she ate and convinced Adam the husband to eat although he first refused on ground that God had instructed them as you know women are very wise and persuaded the husband got convinced ate the fruits and realized that they were necked they decided to cover their bodies with some leaves and hid themselves, when God called them Adam responded that the woman you presented to me as a companion made me to eat the tree that you instructed us not to eat so God responded angry told Eve you disobeyed my instruction, you will always be a subordinate to your husband , and you bear children but delivering of your children with great pain, as for the husband you were convinced by your wife to break my law, you will toil the soil and produce your food with great pain and effort, as for the devil or snake you misled Eve to break my law you will move by your chest and you will inhale the dust and you will be permanent enemy to humanity.
Menstruation is problematic for girls, although it is known that it comes every month but with different frequencies. Although some women experience it twice a month, for some girls it comes with lots of pain, while for others it comes with lots of blood, making it difficult to be in public places. That is why some schoolgirls during this period will not attend any functions. Sometimes it happens when she is in class sessions, and when she gets up to move about with the cloth already soaked from behind with blood, it is often her friends who rush to cover up.
For some girls or women, menstruation comes with lots of pain, causing sickness to the extent that she will be absent from school or that women who are employed will be absent from work for a number of days. In many situations, in African tradition, menstruating girls or women are not allowed to participate in social or religious functions. With modern sanitary packages, there is no reason to exclude menstruating women from public functions, but it is believed that a menstruating woman or girl can bring bad luck to the occasion. The negative impact of menstruation renders girls less confident in themselves, and there are some naughty boys in some schools that often accuse girls of being dirty or smelly, particularly those from poor families that cannot afford to buy sanitary parts. As a result, girls are afraid to attend classes for fear that they do not have a sanitary package to protect themselves. For this reason, parents and guardians must support their daughter’s sanitary package.
A woman that reaches the age of 45 or more years will stop to menstruate which means she will no longer give birth to children that is why one should marry before a woman reaches that age, this also depends on the man who wants to marry to have children that is why women that spent many years to pursue her high education, the chances of marriage is remote, but you will enjoy the income that she brings to the house, in most African culture marriage’s purpose is for procuration of children and the continuity of the family, it is prestigious to have a large family it is good for a clan or community expansion. Our Africans have a lot of bias against women. If you marry, the woman is expected to give birth within six months of marriage, or a maximum of one year. If this does not happen, she will be blamed, and the man will be asked to divorce the wife and marry a fresh woman. She will be accused of eating too much food and filling the pit latrine but having no children. In this situation, the husband should not listen to relatives because women may take even two years before conceiving. And alternatively, the two should go for medical tests, and if need be, one who is found to have medical problems should pursue medical treatment. In some instances, the sperm count in a man is low, making him unable to swim toward the eggs.
For this reason, for a man to be productive, there must be an adequate amount of sperm to fertilize the eggs, so if this is found in the husband, the best option is to increase the sperm count through medication. For a man to be productive, there is reason to blame a wife when the problem is with the husband. In marriage, there are numerous problems coming from relatives, particularly sisters, when the wife gives birth to a first girl, a second girl, a third girl, a fourth girl, and a fifth girl. This alone is a major problem with most families, and all the blame is put squarely on the wife as if she were the one responsible for this creation. Their fear is that all these females will go for marriage. Who will take on the responsibilities of this family without a boy? Others see it differently: girls will bring wealth to the family in the form of dowries. It must be noted that women, even married ones, will never forget their families more than men. Once married, a man’s priority is his wife and children; the parents are no longer a priority.
The author can be reached via e-mail: akimgordon555@yahoo.com