Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Clean water has become a rare commodity in the Gaza region, Palestine, since the country was bombarded by Israel. In the midst of war, many Gazan women are forced to take menstrual delay pills due to the lack of clean water, poor sanitation, and the lack of menstrual products such as sanitary napkins and tampons.

According to the latest report from Al Jazeera, the women took norethisterone tablets – which are usually prescribed for conditions such as heavy menstrual bleeding, endometriosis and painful periods.

According to Dr Walid Abu Hatab, a medical consultant in obstetrics and gynecology at the Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis, the tablets keep progesterone hormone levels high to stop the uterus shedding its lining, thereby delaying menstruation.

Even though it is an official drug, the pill has side effects such as irregular vaginal bleeding, nausea, changes in the menstrual cycle, dizziness and mood swings. However, Gaza women have no other choice but to take this risk amidst the incessant Israeli bombing attacks.

Condition of Gazan women

Salma Khaled is a 41 year old woman living in the Deir el-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza. Israel’s relentless attacks kept him in a constant state of fear and depression. This condition has a negative impact on the menstrual cycle.

“I experienced the most difficult days of my life during this war,” Salma told Al Jazeera. “I’ve had my period twice this month, which is very abnormal. I’ve also had heavy bleeding.”

A number of houses inhabited by dozens of people are also experiencing a water crisis. These heartbreaking conditions make maintaining cleanliness a luxury – even an impossibility. Bathroom use must be rationed, and bathing is limited to once every few days.

Meanwhile, many shops and pharmacies are now out of stock of sanitary napkins. This is because the main roads in the Gaza Strip were damaged after being bombed by Israel, making the delivery of medical products from warehouses to pharmacies impossible.

Although sanitary napkins are difficult to find, menstrual delay tablets are generally more widely available in some pharmacies because they are rarely used.

Photo: Palestinian teenager Dima Allamdani, who fled to Khan Younis, South Gaza Road, Wednesday (25/10/2023). (REUTERS/Mohammed Salem).

“I sent my daughter to the pharmacy to buy menstrual delay pills,” said Salma. “Maybe this war will end soon and I won’t have to use it more than once,” he said.

Another heartbreaking story comes from Samira al-Saadi, who took refuge with her family in a UN-run school west of Khan Younis. Samira’s 15-year-old daughter just had her first menstruation a few months ago.

Her daughter was overwhelmed because she had just started menstruating and had to manage her menstruation in a crowded refugee camp. “He needs sanitary napkins and water for washing, but these basic necessities are missing.”

Samira is worried that menstrual delay pills will have an impact on her teenage daughter’s health.

Israel’s barbaric attack on Gaza has entered its 25th day. More than 8,500 Palestinians were killed, most of them women and children.

According to Nevin Adnan, a psychologist and social worker based in Gaza City, women usually experience psychological and physical symptoms in the days before and during menstruation, such as mood swings and lower abdominal and back pain.

These symptoms can worsen in times of stress such as an ongoing war, according to Adnan. “Displacement causes extreme stress and that affects a woman’s body and her hormones,” she explained.

“There can also be an increase in physical symptoms related to menstruation, such as stomach and back pain, constipation and bloating,” he said.

Adnan said that currently more women are forced to take menstruation delay pills. While he understands the current predicament, Adnan said that under normal circumstances, consulting a doctor before taking these tablets is important to understand the effects the pills and their continued use can have on a woman’s physical health.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(hsy/hsy)