A Study on Knowledge and Awareness on Menstruation among School-going Girls

Description

Rajnandani Kumari¹ and Suvidha² (Department of Home Science, Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan¹ and Department of Home Science (Human Development), Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan²)

Menstruation is a normal phenomenon of adolescent girls that indicates reproductive maturity but continues to be shrouded with myth, misconceptions and even poor knowledge, especially amongst the school going girls in India. Lack of menstrual awareness can be a factor in menstrual hygiene, reproductive tract infections, school absenteeism and psychological distress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the school-going adolescent girls towards menstruation and menstrual hygiene. The study was descriptive, cross-sectional and included 105 girls of age 11-18 years, who had experienced menarche at Banasthali Vidyapith, Tonk, Rajasthan. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire designed with 20 multiple-choice questions that were categorized under three domains, which included knowledge about menstruation (10 items), menstrual hygiene practices (5 items) and attitudes and beliefs (5 items). Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the data. Results showed good basic knowledge about menstruation, as 100% correctly recognized menstruation as a natural process and 99% identified the uterus as the organ involved, and 99% indicated the normal duration of the menstrual bleeding. Positive hygiene practices were also observed with 92.4% knowing the appropriate time for changing sanitary pads and 91.4% ensuring proper disposal procedures. The positive attitudes of most respondents included: 97.1% accepted menstruation as normal; 95.2% recognized the importance of iron rich foods. But there were still some gaps in knowledge about how long the menstrual cycle lasts, about how to choose menstrual products that are environmentally friendly, and about the link between menstrual health and general health. The study concludes that whilst the level of menstrual knowledge and practices overall is satisfactory, in-depth, inclusive and ongoing menstrual education is needed to mitigate persistent misconceptions and foster healthy menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls.