Observing that menstruation should not remain a subject discussed in “hushed whispers”, the Supreme Court on Friday said it was crucial to educate boys about the biological reality of menstruation.“A male student, unsensitised towards the issue, may harass a menstruating girl child, which may discourage her from attending school,” said a Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan.Declaring the right to menstrual health as part of the right to live with dignity under Article 21, the court directed states and Union Territories to provide free oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins to girl students.“A school may have adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene, but an unsupportive, hostile and stigmatised environment would render them of no use,” it said, stressing that male teachers must respond sensitively to girls’ needs.“Ignorance breeds insensitivity, knowledge breeds empathy,” the court noted, adding that menstrual health must be seen as a shared responsibility, not merely a women’s issue.