Menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls studying in a university of Gujarat

BACKGROUND: Menstruation marks the beginning of the reproductive life of a girl. A poor menstrual understanding and its unhealthy practices may increase the risk of reproductive infections, urinary tract infections, and even cancer. Therefore, the main objective of this study was studying the knowledge and attitude regarding menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls so that it can be then taken as a background for designing necessary interventions in the community. OBJECTIVES: 1) To study the knowledge and attitude towards menstruation among adolescent girls and 2) to study the menstrual hygiene practices and health-seeking behaviour of the adolescent girls. METHODS: This was a university-based descriptive cross-sectional study carried out by directly interviewing the subjects using the interviewer-administered questionnaire – pre-tested and pre-designed proforma. The data were analysed statistically by simple proportions. RESULTS: Among the study subjects, 79% had proper knowledge about menstruation. 82% had a normal menstrual pattern. Nearly 96% used sanitary pads, and 2.36% used reusable cloths. Regarding restrictions, 74.80% restrained themselves from visiting the places of worship, 21% avoided physical exercise, and 7.87% had to remain isolated with minimal social contact. Nearly 19% made conscious efforts for dietary changes during menstruation. CONCLUSION: A majority of the subjects had a regular menstrual cycle, but menstrual problems were found to be more among those having irregular periods, those changing absorbents infrequently, with an inadequate frequency of cleaning, and those using plain water for cleaning. The study however does reflect the fact that menstrual hygiene was unsatisfactory among adolescent girls. Therefore, they need to be educated about the facts of menstruation and proper hygienic practices.