PA01.29. Querries in the minds of Indian adolescents regarding menses. (Old Title) / Ignorance in urban Indian girls around menstruation: a qualitative analysis (New Title)

PURPOSE: Adolescence is a period of rapid physical, emotional, cognitive, social growth and development. Though menstrual education programs are conducted in schools, the factual information that adolescent girls need is not always available to them leaving behind a large number of unanswered questions, ranged from sophisticated to poignantly ignorant, in the minds of young girls. METHOD: 1,430 female Indian students from middle and lower socioeconomic class, ranging in age from 12 to 15 years of a Pune city school were given a chance to ask anonymous written questions after the menstrual health and hygiene classes. RESULT: The most popular categories of questions were on menstrual physiology; beauty and symptoms associated with menstruation, followed by myths and taboos, use of sanitary pads, anatomy of reproductive organs, diet and menstrual disorders. Among 258 questions asked voluntarily, the most popular topic for 6th graders was menstrual physiology (45%) and beauty for 7th (39%) and 8th (19%) graders. Why does baby grow in mother's womb only, how do astronauts get menses in space, do boys too develop pubic hair, does a girl become pregnant immediately after menarche, etc. were some of the interesting questions showing the curiosity and ignorance in the minds of young girls. Myths and taboos like during menses a girl shouldn’t enter kitchen, perform religious activities and touch others, getting infertility if disposed sanitary pad is sniffed by a snake etc. were persistent. The significant increase in the questions under beauty category from 2% (6th grades) to 39% (7th grades) depicts sudden increase in level of self-consciousness and attraction towards opposite sex. CONCLUSION: Questions asked by local adolescent girls should be considered by physicians and health education policy makers as the bases for designing subsequent material and programs on menstrual health education.