Menstrual Hygiene Management Practices Research Articles

Menstrual Hygiene Management Practices for Adolescent Girls among Public Secondary Schools in Kibondo District, Tanzania

The study aimed at examining menstrual hygiene management practices among adolescent girls in public secondary schools in Kibondo District. The study used the mixed research approach with the convergent parallel design. The study was comprised of the sample size of 99 respondents from four out of 17 schools, including ten parents, 12 female teachers, 68 students, 4 matrons, 4 Heads of schools and 1 District Education Officer. Data collection was done through semi-structured interview, focus group discussion and questionnaire. Qualitative data analysis was done through content analysis while quantitative data were analyzed descriptively with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 and presented in tables through percentages, and frequencies. The study discovered that there are problems in MHM practices among public secondary schools under investigation. There were shortages of menstrual hygiene management practice facilities such as toilets and private areas to change absorbent pads, disposable mechanisms and water. The study recommended that adolescent girls should be provided with sanitary pads and education. There is need to improve MHM facilities such as water, disposable mechanisms and private rooms for changing absorbent materials for effective management of menstrual periods. Menstrual hygiene management topics should be integrated into the syllabi in order to increase awareness on MHM to adolescent girls. Teachers and health workers should closely provide guidance and health talks to adolescent girls, advising them on how to manage their menstrual-related illness effectively for their good performance in school.

Menstrual Hygiene Management-Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Female College Students in Bhutan.

Background: Girls and women face substantial menstrual hygiene management (MHM) challenges in low- and middle-income countries. These challenges are related to inadequate knowledge and insufficient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities. Currently, the literature on MHM among college-attending women in Bhutan is scarce. We aimed to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of female college students from all the 10 government colleges of Bhutan, documenting the conditions of available MHM facilities, from August to September 2018.Methods: A cross-sectional KAP survey was conducted with a random sample of female students from all years and a random sample of MHM facilities at each college and hostel. A questionnaire was adapted from a similar study conducted with school students in Bhutan. Socio-demographics, overall KAP findings, and differences in KAP between first and final year students were analyzed; college and hostel toilets were self-reported and directly observed.Results: In the survey, 1,010 participants completed the self-administered questionnaire. The comprehensive knowledge of menstruation was found to be low (35.5%) among participants. Half of the participants (50.3%) reported their mother as the source of information, and 35.1% of the participants agreed that women should not enter a shrine during menstruation. It was also reported that approximately 4% of median monthly pocket money was spent on the absorbents, and 96.9% of absorbents were wrapped before disposal. Half of the participants (55.1%) reported that their daily activities were affected due to menstruation, and 24.2% of the female students missed college due to dysmenorrhea. One-fifth of the participants (21.3%) reported unavailability of water in college, 80.1% of the participants reported absence of soap for hand washing, and 24.1% described no bins for disposal. The participants also reported that in 33.7% of hostel toilets, the door locks were missing. The direct observations also had similar findings.Conclusions: Female students living in hostels during college years lose considerable resources during their formative years of learning, such as time, energy, and money, due to issues of menstruation management. Although the overall understanding of menstruation was low, the MHM practices of our participants scored highly, and the vast majority of them asked for a platform to discuss menstruation. Despite some agreement with menstrual taboos (e.g., visiting shrine), only 5.1% of the participants were uncomfortable conversing about MHM. Improved public health knowledge, psychosocial/medical support, and WASH infrastructure with freely available menstrual products could lead to more effective MHM practices among female college students.

Menstrual hygiene management practice and associated factors among secondary school girls in finot selam town, northwest Ethiopia, 2019

As at the end of August 2020, the coronavirus disease outbreak has hit more than 50,000 across all the 36 states of Nigeria. Whilst the federal government declared contraception an essential service that can continue to be assessed from health facilities,

How socio-demographic and mass media factors affect sanitary item usage among women in rural and urban India

Our study’s objective is to examine the various socio-demographic and mass media factors of sanitary item usage among rural and urban women in India. We have used data from the Indian version of the Demographic and Health Survey, conducted in 2015–16 for this study, with a sample of 247,833 women in the age group of 15 to 24 years. Binary logistics regression was performed separately for urban and rural women to understand the various determinants of sanitary item usage. We found that three-quarters of women in urban areas use sanitary items compared to half of the women in rural areas. Indian women in rural areas appear to be at a considerable disadvantage compared to their urban counterparts with regard to sanitary item usage. Factors determining sanitary item usage did not vary between urban and rural areas. However, education, wealth, mass media, and toilet facility were the major factors in understanding the improvement in sanitary item usage in urban and rural areas. At the policy level, there is need to focus on (a) disseminating knowledge about menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices and provisioning of sanitary items; and (b) providing exposure to traditional media channels to potentially reduce the social stigma associated with these issues and bring critical conversations to the forefront, especially among the socio-economically disadvantaged groups.

Menstrual hygiene management practice among adolescent girls: a cross sectional study in Nepal

Background: Good menstrual hygiene is fundamental to health, hygiene and well-being of women and girls. As menstruation itself considered as taboo in Nepalese society, it has direct impacts on the health of the women and adolescent. The objective of the study is to assess the knowledge and practices regarding menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls.Methods: A cross- sectional study design was conducted among 398 samples. Simple random sampling was done to select the resource center schools and probability proportionate sampling (PPS) technique used to get sample size. Structured interview schedule is used to collect data and analysed from SPSS software after validation.Results: Knowledge on menstrual hygiene management was good in urban adolescent girls (93.69%) as compared to rural (6.31%). Similarly, level of practice was good regarding menstrual hygiene management was good in urban adolescent girls (91.29%) as compared to rural (8.71%). Place of the residence and knowledge level of the adolescent girls was highly significant (p<0.001).Conclusions: The findings showed that rural adolescent girls had poor knowledge, various misconceptions and inadequate practices regarding menstrual hygiene management.

Addressing Menstrual Health & Hygiene Practices in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

Menstruation is the natural bodily process of releasing blood and associated matter from the uterus through the vagina as part of the menstrual cycle. Menstrual health take into account both menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices and the broader interventions that link menstruation to health, wellbeing, gender, education, equality, empowerment and rights. Ensuring menstrual health & hygiene (MHH) practices in the face of COVID-19 health crisis gains increased significance in today’s world. In relation to MHM, several countries have reported that COVID-19 pandemic has worsened key challenges for women and adolescent girls who bleed due to several reasons. This research work aims to address strategies needed to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on MHH. Also, attempts have been made to investigate into considerations needed for ensuring MHH practices among women and girls with disabilities, and refugee and displaced people, as they are likely to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data (largely qualitative in nature) have been used in the work and nature of data analysis is descriptive. The paper concludes that there is need to ensure that MHH supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are in place for both menstruating women and girls, and health care workers in hospital settings offering both menstrual health and COVID-19 care and services.

Knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene management among the Rohingya refugee adolescent girls in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh: a mixed method study

Purpose About half of the 16% adolescents in the world experience menstruation. Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is a health concern and challenge especially in humanitarian situations as experienced by Myanmar Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. This study aims to assess knowledge, practice and influencing factors for MHM among Rohingya refugee adolescent girls of 14–18 years. Design/methodology/approach The study used both quantitative (a cross-sectional survey with 340 adolescent girls through a structured questionnaire) and qualitative (7 in-depth interviews with adolescent girls and 2 focus group discussions with the mothers) approaches. Quantitative data, analyzed using STATA version 13.0, were supported by qualitative data, grouped into themes and presented as matrix. Findings Around 51% adolescent girls learned about menstruation after menarche, at the mean age of 12 years, from their mothers and older sisters. About 75% used sanitary pads as absorbents which they got mostly as relief material or bought from local stores (83%); the rest used cloths and other materials (25%). About 57% of the respondents disposed of their absorbent by burying. Those who used reusable absorbents washed them with soap and water (40%) and mostly dried them indoors (17%). Factors influencing healthy MHM practice included the use of absorbent, privacy, disposal, washing and drying of clothes, physical activities, hygiene and pain management. Adolescents with secondary or higher education were four times more likely to have better MHM practice (odds ratio = 4.27; confidence interval = 1.19–15.31) than those with no formal schooling. Originality/value This paper is based on a research undertaken as part of academic requirement.

Identifying Risk Factors for Lower Reproductive Tract Infections among Women Using Reusable Absorbents in Odisha, India

A large proportion of women in Odisha, India, use reusable absorbents to manage their menstruation. Yet, the risk factors for lower reproductive tract infections (RTIs) related to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) have not been studied among reusable absorbent users. Women of reproductive age attending one of two hospitals from two different cities in Odisha during two separate study intervals were recruited for the study. Laboratory diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) were conducted. A questionnaire was used to collect information on MHM practices, water, sanitation, and socio-demographic factors. Among the 509 women who used reusable absorbents, 71.7% were diagnosed with at least one infection. After adjusting for confounders, women with BV were more likely to identify as being a housewife (aOR: 1.8 (1.1–2.9)). Frequent absorbent changing was protective against BV (aOR: 0.5 (0.3–0.8)), whereas frequent body washing increased the odds of BV (aOR: 1.5 (1.0–2.2)). Women with VVC were more likely to be older (aOR: 1.6 (1.0–2.5)), live below the poverty line (aOR: 1.5 (1.1–2.2)), have a non-private household latrine (aOR: 2.2 (1.3–4.0)), dry their absorbents inside the house (aOR: 3.7 (2.5–4.5)), and store absorbents in the latrine area (aOR: 2.0 (1.3–2.9)). Washing absorbents outside the house was protective against VVC (aOR: 0.7 (0.4–1.0)). This study highlights the importance of improving MHM practices among reusable absorbent users to prevent lower RTIs among women reusing menstrual materials in Odisha.

Menstrual Hygiene Management Practice in Magelang Senior High School

Background: Menstrual Hygiene Management is the management of hygiene and health when women experience menstruation. UNICEF research results state that 46% of young women in Indonesia change sanitary napkins less than 2 times a day, whereas in theory changing sanitary napkins is at least 3-4 hours a day. Use for more than 8 hours causes genital irritation and itching which will have an impact on health. The purpose of this study was to determine the practice of menstrual hygiene management in high schools in Magelang.Methods: This research was conducted in 5 public high schools in Magelang. This research method is a mixed methods design. explanatory The research was conducted by collecting quantitative data then qualitative data. The study population was all high school students in Magelang City with a total of 267 respondents.Results: The results showed that there was a relationship between the peer support variable (p-value 0,000), the role of the teacher (p-value 0.002), and facilities (p-value 0.003) with menstrual health management practicesConclusion: conclusions and implications for midwifery and nursing practiceAll sections in The peer support variable (p value 0.001) had the most influence on menstrual hygiene management. It is hoped that midwives can contribute in providing health education on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MKM) in cross-sectoral collaboration with the Education Office

Knowledge on Menstruation and Practice of Menstrual Hygiene Management Among School Adolescent Girls in Central Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundMenstruation is a natural event that is a physiological and psychological milestone in women’s reproductive life. But Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) continues to be a monthly challenge for adolescent girls in low-income countries, including Ethiopia harming their school attendance, health, and daily life. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the practice of MHM and associated factors in central Ethiopia.MethodsSchool-based cross-sectional study was employed among preparatory and high schools in Holeta Town from May 01 to 20, 2019. A systematic random sampling method was used to select study subjects. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were carried out to identify associated factors.ResultsFrom a total of 403 respondents, 72.5% of school adolescents had good overall knowledge about menstruation and only 34.7% had adequate MHM practice. The study identified adolescents from urban residence (AOR=2.62, 95% CI: 1.53–4.48), got information about menstruation from mothers (AOR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.18–3.96) and teachers (AOR=5.09, 95% CI: 2.67–9.67), school toilets with inside lock (AOR=2.82, 95% CI: 1.67–4.76), not missing school during menstruation (AOR=4.2, 95% CI: 1.55–11.41), experienced menstrual-related problems (AOR=2.63, 95% CI: 1.49–4.64), experienced any whitish or gray discharge per-vagina (AOR=2.84, 95% CI: 1.66–4.85) and having good overall knowledge about menstruation (AOR=1.94, 95% CI: 1.07–3.52) were significantly associated with adequate MHM practice.ConclusionThe study revealed three-fourth of adolescents had good overall knowledge and two-third of them had inadequate MHM practice. Rural residence, source of information on menstruation, school toilets with inside lock, experiencing menstrual-related problems, and overall knowledge were associated with adequate MHM practice. Therefore, working on enhancing the awareness of adolescent girls on menstruation and MHM practice and making school environments conducive to safe MHM practice were recommended.

Menstrual hygiene management practices and associated health outcomes among school-going adolescents in rural Gambia.

Inadequate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices have been associated with adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to describe MHM practices among schoolgirls from rural Gambia and assess risk factors associated with urogenital infections and depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescent schoolgirls in thirteen schools in rural Gambia. A questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographics, MHM practices and clinical symptoms of reproductive and urinary tract infections (UTIs). A modified Beck Depression Inventory-II was used to screen for depressive symptoms. Mid-stream urine samples were collected to assess for UTIs. Modified Poisson regression analysis was used to determine risk factors for symptoms of urogenital infections and depression among adolescent girls. Three hundred and fifty-eight girls were recruited. Although, 63% of the girls attended schools providing free disposable pads, reusable cloths/towels were the commonest absorbent materials used. Heavy menstrual bleeding was associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted prevalence ratio, aPR 1.4 [95% CI 1.0, 1.9]), while extreme menstrual pain (aPR 1.3 [95% CI 1.2, 1,4]), accessing sanitary pads in school (aPR 1.4 [95% CI 1.2, 1.5]) and less access to functional water source at school (aPR 1.4 [95% CI 1.3, 1.6]) were associated with UTI symptoms. Conversely, privacy in school toilets (aPR 0.6 [95% CI 0.5, 0.7]) was protective for UTI symptoms. Heavy menstrual bleeding (aPR 1.4 [95% CI 1.1, 2.0]) and taking <30 minutes to collect water at home were associated with RTI symptoms (aPR 1.2 [95% CI 1.0, 1.5]) while availability of soap in school toilets (aPR 0.6 [95% CI 0.5, 0.8] was protective for RTI symptoms. Interventions to ensure that schoolgirls have access to private sanitation facilities with water and soap both at school and at home could reduce UTI and RTI symptoms. More attention is also needed to support girls with heavy menstrual bleeding and pain symptoms.

Breaking the silence around menstruation: experiences from urban and rural India

Menstruation being a normal physiological process is still considered a subject of shame. Discussion around “periods” is always kept private and not considered a normal health issue. There are many organizations (both government and non-government), who have been working towards providing menstrual hygiene management in India. However, even in 2020, “period” word is still associated with stigma in society. Cultural stereotypes have a huge impact in the efforts to alleviate the issues related to menstruation in India. Lack of awareness and accessibility make the behaviour change even more difficult. The ever-present stigma and taboos that adolescent girls and women face impact considerably how they understand and experience menstruation. Women are always expected to be the main source of information about menstruation. In India, especially rural areas, parents are often unprepared, uncomfortable and under-resourced to have a conversation about menstruation with their daughters. Hence it is difficult to allay the negative beliefs and attitudes that surround menstruation. The impact of shame and stigma around menstruation is an interwoven issue in Indian society felt by most of menstruating girls and women. Given the taboo around menstruation, discussions and sharing of knowledge on menstrual hygiene management practices are very limited.

Menstruation and Menstrual Hygiene Management Practices among Females in an Urban Slum of Indonesia

Menstruation and Menstrual Hygiene Management Practices among Females in an Urban Slum of Indonesia

Impacts of a Bathing Space on the Lives of the Rural Women in India

According to the 2011 Census of India, around 55% of rural households do not access a private bathing facility. The research study examines whether a bathing space’s presence improves the quality of life of the women using it. The study was conducted in two Indian states, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, where two private agencies had facilitated bathing spaces. 54 women were interviewed for the purpose of the study. Individual interviews were conducted to understand the perception of the women who had recent access to the bathing spaces. The research shows that women who have access to bathing space have perceived positive changes in their health. Because of access to a private and secluded area, they can carry out Menstrual Hygiene Management practices. Along with the health benefits, the women participants also perceived changes in their daily lives. While there were numerous benefits of the bathing space, the burden of filling water and maintaining the bathing spaces on women increased. The paper also tries to understand what are the reasons for not constructing a bathing space. Cultural norms, lack of land, lack of water and water connectivity, lack of awareness, and economic reasons came across as reasons for not constructing a bathing space in the study.

Is There Any Relationship between Poor Menstrual Hygiene Management and Anemia? - A Quantitative Study Among Adolescent Girls of the Urban Slum of Madhya Pradesh.

Background:Anemia and poor menstrual hygiene practices have a considerable impact on all aspects of an adolescent girl's life. There is a dire need for evidence on the burden and its association to provide actionable preventive measures.Objective:The objective of this study is to explore the magnitude and association between poor Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) practices and anemia.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study conducted among 393 adolescent girls of the urban slum of Bhopal (June 2017–July 2018). Hemoglobin (Hb) was determined by a portable Hb meter (HemoCue). Logistic regression analysis was done to find out if there is any association between poor MHM practices and anemia.Results:The present study found the prevalence of anemia as 38.7% among which 65.1%, 31.5%, and 3.2% were suffering from mild, moderate, and severe forms of anemia, respectively, and 87.3% were practicing poor MHM. Logistic regression found that the MHM, bleeding during menstruation, religion, educational status, and nutritional status of adolescents were significant factors associated with anemia.Conclusion:The study concluded that there is a significant association between poor MHM and anemia. Concerted convergent actions focusing on the provision of awareness regarding MHM and sanitary facilities to maintain proper menstrual hygiene are needed to reduce the burden of anemia.

Menstrual Hygiene Management Practices and Associated Factors among Secondary School Girls in East Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia

Background. Many adolescent girls in developing countries lack appropriate information, means or materials, and access to the right sanitary facilities to manage menstruation. Hence, they adopted unsafe hygienic practices during menstruation that in turn has a negative impact on their dignity, health, and education. Thus, this study aimed to assess the practices of menstrual hygiene management and associated factors among secondary school girls in East Hararghe Zone. Methods. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2017 among secondary school girls in East Hararghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia. A total of 672 girls were selected randomly and interviewed using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify predictors of good menstrual hygiene management practices. Result. Overall, 58.3% of the girls had good menstrual hygiene management practices. Around two-thirds (66.1%) of them used commercial sanitary pads as absorbents, 56.4% changed sanitary materials more than three times a day, and 68.3% cleaned their external genitalia daily during their menstruation. During multivariate analysis, living in urban areas (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.77, 3.80), having moderate (AOR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.64, 5.28) and good knowledge about menstruation (AOR = 3.87, 95% CI: 2.21, 6.77), and mothers’ secondary and above education (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.01, 3.30) showed a positively significant association with good menstrual hygiene management practices. Conclusion. In this study, the practice of good menstrual hygiene management of secondary schoolgirls was low. Factors independently influencing menstrual hygiene management practices were girls’ place of residence, knowledge status of menstruation and its hygiene management, and mothers’ educational status. This highlights a need for targeted interventions to raise awareness of school girls especially for rural residents and the public in general to improve the knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene management.

Period teasing, stigma and knowledge: A survey of adolescent boys and girls in Northern Tanzania

Emerging evidence suggests that menstruation-related teasing is a common experience among adolescent girls with ramifications on their school participation, yet empirical evidence on the prevalence and determinants of period teasing in schools remain scarce. Menstrual hygiene research and policies almost exclusively focus on girls and women, leading to a dearth of knowledge of male attitudes. We conducted the first quantitative survey of period teasing in schools in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on 432 male and 524 female students in four co-educational secondary schools in northern Tanzania. Period teasing is prevalent; 13% of girls have experienced period teasing, and more than 80% fear being teased, especially by male classmates. Girls’ fears are associated with insufficient menstrual hygiene management resources and practices. Girls cope by reducing school attendance, participation, and concentration in the classroom during periods. Boys engage in period teasing because they perceive periods as embarrassing, especially visible markers of periods (odor or stains). Social norms, such as peer behavior and home restrictions on menstruating women, are associated with more teasing. Boys believe it is strongly inappropriate for girls to reveal period status or to discuss periods with males, including male teachers. In contrast, boys are well informed about basic biological facts of menstruation (scoring 60% on a knowledge quiz, not statistically different from the girls) and have received information from school curricula and health workers. Lack of suitable menstrual hygiene practices and restrictive social norms is correlated with period teasing, which hinders gender equality in educational opportunities. Providing narrowly bio-medical focused education about menstruation may not be enough to reduce period teasing in contexts with period stigma.

Factors Affecting Menstrual Hygiene Management Practice Among School Adolescents in Ambo, Western Ethiopia, 2018: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Method Study.

BackgroundMenstruation is still regarded as something unclean in many parts of Ethiopia. Despite the challenges related to menstrual hygiene management, it has been routinely overlooked in the school setting. The existing evidence on menstrual hygiene management lacks objective measurement approaches. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess factors affecting menstrual hygiene management practice among school adolescents in Ambo, Western Ethiopia.MethodsAn institutional-based mixed-method cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 to 30 March 2018 with 364 high school females. A systematic random sampling and purposive sampling technique were used to select study participants. We used a self-administered questionnaire, observational checklists, and focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software and thematic analysis. Multiple logistic regression analyses were done. With 95% CI, P< 0.05 was considered the level of significance.ResultsThe prevalence of unsafe menstrual hygiene management practice was 53.6%, and it was affected by factors including age of the females [AOR: 0.16 (0.045, 0.57), P=0.005], frequency of discussing menses [AOR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.71, P-value = 0.006], and source of information about menses [AOR: 3.75, 95% CI: 1.75, 8.00) P= 0.001]. Lack of information about how to manage menses safely and lack of sufficient WASH facility were also identified.ConclusionHigh prevalence of unsafe menstrual hygiene management in the study area implies that urgent measures are needed from the concerned body. The school environments were not female friendly for managing their menses safely highlighting that the water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in the schools need urgent solutions.

Menstruation practice among school and out-of-school adolescent girls, Lao PDR

ABSTRACT Background The transition from childhood to adolescence is a critical transitional period for girls, and as they experience these changes, having knowledge of, and being able to practice, good menstruation hygiene management is crucial. The objective of this study was to understand in and out of school adolescents’ menstrual hygiene management practice, sources of information and attitudes towards menstruation. Methods A cross sectional, descriptive study was conducted between November 2018 and May 2019. The sampling included adolescent girls aged 11–19 years in higher secondary schools in Khammouane and Champassak provinces and out-of-school adolescent girls. Out of the total number of 433 participants enrolled in the study, only 343 girls had reached menarche and were included in the study. Factors associated with menstruation hygiene management practice were examined with bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results Out of 343 subjects who had reached menarche, 44% reported good menstrual hygiene management practice. Over half of the participants, however, were unable to access the tools of good menstruation hygiene management practice, including having somewhere to dispose of used sanitary pads in private. Being older (16–19 years) (AOR:2.4; 95%CI 1.4 to 3.9), and having primary education (AOR 0.4; 95%CI 0.2 to 0.9) were associated with good practice as was fathers’ level of education (AOR 2.1; 95%CI 1.0 to 4.1) and mother-girl discussion about menstruation (AOR 2.2; 95%CI 1.0 to 5.0). No significant differences were found between in- and out-of-school adolescents. Conclusions In this study, not all participants were able to practice optimal menstruation hygiene management. This is important as good menstrual hygiene management is associated with better health and being able to participate fully in education and work. Further education is needed, but it is also important to ensure that all adolescent girls have access to the necessary tools for effective menstruation hygiene management.

Menstrual Hygiene: A Salubrious Approach to Curb Gynecological Problems

Background: Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) are associated with poor menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices and it lead to gynecological problems. We aimed to determine which factors are responsible poor menstrual hygiene practices and were associated with common infections of the lower reproductive tract. Importance: Proper management of menstrual hygiene is taken for granted in many countries, including India and mainly in the rural population as inadequate menstrual hygiene is a major problem for females which adversely affects the health and development of females. Objective: The aim of this article is to know the various factors responsible for poor menstrual hygiene which is giving rise to various infections in females and list various type of infection which is occurring due to bad menstrual practices. Conclusion: They are various factors affecting menstrual hygiene management includes lack of knowledge and awareness, ignorance and embracement; teasing by peer’s poor familial support, lack of cultural acceptance of alternative menstrual products; limited resources to purchase pads, inadequate water and sanitation facilities. People should be able to define what is meant by “adequate menstrual hygiene management,” identify the challenges to adequate menstrual hygiene management, and describe some of the intervention strategies that have been proposed to improve menstrual hygiene management for females. The results of our review add to growing number of studies which demonstrate a strong and consistent association between poor menstrual hygiene practices and higher prevalence of lower RTIs and gynecological cancers.