Anikeade Funke-Treasure Akintoye, SPMC’s Convener.
The Sanitary Pad Media Campaign, SPMC, has launched, ‘Your Menstrual Health in 5 Minutes’, a 13-week radio explainer series designed to educate girls and women on menstrual health and hygiene, encourage open conversations around menstruation, and improve the wellbeing of women and girls.
In a release signed by Bolanle Oluwayemi, Communication Manager, SPMC, it was made known that for far too long, menstrual health has remained a hushed topic, leaving many girls and women to rely on myths, misinformation, and assumptions. “This silence has often resulted in poor health decisions, delayed care, and unnecessary suffering from menstrual challenges that could be addressed through timely information and support.””
The new radio series seeks to bridge this gap by delivering accurate, relatable, and practical information that helps girls and women better understand their bodies, menstrual cycles, and reproductive health. Through concise five-minute weekly episodes, the programme will explore topics such as menstruation as the fifth vital sign, what a normal period looks like, menstrual pain, hormones, the menstrual cycle, common period challenges, vaginal discharge, menstrual hygiene, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), and other important aspects of reproductive health.
Each episode is presented in clear, culturally sensitive, and easy-to-understand language, ensuring the information remains practical, memorable, and accessible to a wide audience.
Speaking on the initiative, Anikeade Funke-Treasure Akintoye, the Convener of the Sanitary Pad Media Campaign (SPMC), said the explainer series aligns with the theme of this year’s World Menstrual Hygiene Day, “Towards a Period Friendly World.”
She also noted that radio remains a powerful medium for disseminating critical health information: “I am excited about our second attempt at using radio to create awareness about menstrual health. As an intimate medium, radio provides a space for people to learn without shame or bias,” she said.
“We are using radio to break the silence that a culture of concealment has sustained for years. Hopefully, this generation of listeners will find their voice and join in amplifying the conversation.”
SPMC returns to radio following the success of its radio drama series, which aired on major radio stations across Nigeria in 2023 and 2024. According to Oluwayemisi Adekunle, a Public Affairs and Communication Strategist, “Menstrual health is far more than a personal issue, it is a critical public health and equity concern that affects education, productivity, and overall quality of life.
At its core, this initiative is about dignity, health literacy. She declares that, “Period should not control a woman’s life with the right information and support”. Commenting on the explainer, Adebisi Adetunji, a Media & Development Communications Expert, “A period is a mirror into the female body. This short 5-minute talk on Menstrual Health is conversational, easy to follow, and breaks down information in a reassuring way for girls and women’’. She notes:
‘’it will be a great resource for conversations on how to maintain a healthy period’’.Radio remains one of the most effective platforms for reaching diverse communities, particularly where access to health education is limited. Radio is the most consistent and far-reaching communication channel in rural parts of Nigeria and across much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Your Menstrual Health in 5 Minutes premieres on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, and will air every Wednesday at 7:55 am on Smailz 98.7FM for 13 consecutive weeks.