Abstract

Menstruation, generally considered as unclean in the Indian society and have reinforced a negative attitude towards this phenomenon. Good hygienic practices such as the use of sanitary pads and adequate washing of the genital area are essential during menstruation. Aim and Objectives: To assess the knowledge and the practice of menstrual hygiene among school going adolescent girls. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in 2012 among 435 school going girls of 8 th 12th standards. A pre-designed, pretested and structured questionnaire was used in the study. Descriptive statistics, Pearson Chi-square test and Kruskal Wallis test were applied in data analysis. Results: The mean age of menarche in the study group was 12.9 + 1.2 years. Only 28.2% girls were aware of menstruation before menarche. More than three fourth of the girls were not aware of the cause and the source of bleeding. Only 49.5% girls knew that practicing good hygiene during menstruation would prevent reproductive tract infections. Sanitary pads were used by 90.5% of the study population. Nine percent girls used old clothes as the absorbents. Satisfactory cleaning of the external genitalia with soap was practiced by only 14.5% girls. Conclusion: Awareness regarding the need for information about healthy menstrual practices is very important. It is essential to design a mechanism to address and gain the access of hygienic menstrual practices for adolescent girls.

Authors and Affiliations