Schools preparedness for menstrual hygiene management: a descriptive cross-sectional study in the West Gonja Municipality, Savannah Region of Ghana

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate schools’ preparedness for menstrual hygiene management in the West Gonja Municipality of Ghana. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study with a mixed-methods approach. SETTING: Junior high schools in the West Gonja Municipality. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six schools were randomly selected, and 13 schoolgirls were purposively chosen for qualitative interviews. ANALYSIS OF DATA: The quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using Microsoft Excel and thematic content analysis, respectively. The transcriptions were printed out and read repeatedly to identify similar wordings, phrases, concept and meanings. OUTCOMES: Presence of menstrual hygiene facilities in basic schools. RESULTS: Majority (69.2%) of the schools were poorly prepared towards menstrual hygiene management. Only 38.5% schools had water, most schools (61.5%) did not have waste bins, 30.8% of the schools had designated places for changing of menstrual materials. No school had menstrual hygiene materials available for emergency use. All participants acknowledged inadequate hygiene facilities in their schools. During menses, adolescent girls often absent themselves from school. Girls tend to be very inactive during their menstrual period for fear of embracement from their male counterparts. The following themes were obtained ‘unavailability of hygiene material’, ‘involvement in class during menses’ and ‘absence from school’. CONCLUSION: Schools in West Gonja Municipality have inadequate menstrual hygiene management facilities that could be a major setback to the health and educational attainment of young girls. The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources should expand menstrual hygiene and its management to reach the West Gonja Municipality as part of the National Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy.