Menstrual Hygiene - Adolescent Girls' Concerns'

Abstract

Background: Knowledge of adolescent girls regarding reproductive health including menstruation is not learnt in systematic manner and hence may be half baked and influenced by socio-cultural barriers. Aims & Objectives: To study the knowledge, perceptions and practices of school going adolescent girls of 15-19 years of age regarding menstrual hygiene and identify the socio-cultural factors influencing them. Material & Methods: The semi-structured questionnaire was used and data analysed using Microsoft Excel 2007 and Epi Info 7 software. Results: 69.2% of the adolescent girls were aware about menstruation and mother was the key informant in 384 (76.80%). 100 (20.00%) thought that it is a Curse of God/Sin and 91 (18.20%) of the respondents perceived menstruation as a disease/abnormal bleeding. Only 149 (29.80%) of the subjects answered that uterus is the source of menstrual blood. Majority of the girls living in the joint families were not allowed to visit religious places and the association was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Over 80 % are disposing of sanitary napkins in dustbin or open which may turn out to be hazardous. FamilyType affects awareness of adolescents, personal hygiene and imposed restrictions regarding menstruation .These were found to be significantly associated.

Keywords

• Menstruation
• menstrual hygiene
• adolescent girls
• sanitary napkins
• personal hygiene