Commercial sex workers in Nairobi’s downtown belong to the world’s oldest profession and just like any other person they need to report to work every day, even when they are on their menstrual cycle. But just exactly how do these commercial sex workers manage to stay at work even when nature commands them to take a day off?
Njoki, a commercial sex worker in Kariobangi slums, says they take a piece of sanitary towel, cut it into pieces then insert it into the deep end of their vagina. She says the inserted piece of sanitary towel will absorb the menstrual blood therefore preventing it from flowing out. According to Njoki this will help them attend to their clients without exposing them to the menstrual flow.
“This piece of sanitary towel makes it hard for blood to flow out and no client can ever notice that i am on my periods,” says Njoki. The pain is inevitable, but according to Njoki in this line of duty it is never about the pain or the pleasure, it is all about the money.
To avoid facing risks, she says they insert a fresh piece of sanitary towel after every shot with a client. “When you feel the tampon is wrongly placed in the vagina and is probably causing pain, you tell the client to give you a moment, then rush into the toilet and then properly place it or even replace it with another one”, she says.
But just what are some of the risks could these commercial sex workers be exposing themselves to? Doctor Bob Achila, a gynaecologist at the Agha Khan Hospital, says if a piece of sanitary towel or tampon is left inside the vagina for a very long time, it could cause a vaginal infection, known as the Toxic Shock Syndrome, which he says is very dangerous.
“In case the piece of tampon is forgotten inside the vagina, the infection could build up, but it rarely happens.
Achila is however advising the commercial sex workers to use the approved methods of delaying their periods instead of exposing themselves to the dangerous act of inserting pieces of tampons inside their vagina. Oblivious of the dangers they could be exposing themselves to, these commercial sex workers continue with their trade unperturbed.
AUTHOR: CLARET ADHIAMBO