Menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent schoolgirls of rural Mangalore, Karnataka

Abstract

Background: Adolescence represents one of the critical transitions in life and is characterized by a tremendous pace in growth and changes. Despite the fact that menstruation is a healthy biological process, the issue of menstruation is approached with hesitance and wrong information because of deep-rooted cultural taboos. Objectives: (1) The objective of this study was to assess the status of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls, (2) to elicit the rituals and restrictions during menstruation, and (3) to study the common problems related to menstruation. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among schoolgoing adolescent girl students in rural Mangalore, 116 girls participated in the study. Data were collected by interview method using a predesigned semi-structured questionnaire to obtain information on menstrual hygiene practices, restrictions and common problems during menstruation. Results: Only 68.1% of the study participants perceived menstruation as a normal body process and 55.2% of girls had knowledge about the importance of menstrual hygiene. More than half of the participants believed that sanitary pads are ideal to be used during menstruation, but only 30.2% of them used only sanitary pads. Majority of them (55.2%) reported that they have restrictions during menstruation. Pain abdomen (64.7%) was a common problem during menstruation, others being head ache, back ache, weakness, and feeling sad. Conclusion: The need of the hour is adolescent girls to have accurate and adequate information about menstruation and menstrual hygiene.