Perceptions and practices related to menstruation and reproductive health in adolescent girls in an urban population - A cross sectional study

Anuna Vinod; Resmi S Kaimal

doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1752_22

Perceptions and practices related to menstruation and reproductive health in adolescent girls in an urban population - A cross sectional study

J Family Med Prim Care. 2023 Apr;12(4):717-721. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1752_22. Epub 2023 Apr 17.

Authors

Anuna Vinod^{1

2}, Resmi S Kaimal³

Affiliations

¹ Current Affiliation: Senior Resident, Family Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
² During the Time of Study: Junior Resident, Department of Family Medicine, Lourdes Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India.
³ Department of Family Medicine, Lourdes Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, India.

Abstract

Introduction: Menarche is an important biological milestone in a woman's life as it marks the onset of the reproductive phase of her life. It is, often considered an impure phenomenon in Indian society owing to cultural taboos and insufficient and incorrect information and causes unnecessary restrictions in the day-to-day normal activities of menstruating girls.

Aim: To assess the perception and practices related to menstruation and reproductive health among school-going adolescent girls in the urban population in Kochi, Kerala.

Objectives: To elicit the practices regarding menstruation and reproductive health among the school-going, adolescent girls. i. To elicit the beliefs, perceptions, and sources of information regarding menstruation and reproductive health among the school going, adolescent girls. ii. To find out the relation between perceptions/practices and other factors.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 adolescent girls of a secondary school situated in Ernakulam, Kerala, with the help of a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire. Data were analyzed statistically by simple proportions.

Result: 89% of the girls were aware of menstruation before menarche. A major source of information was found to be mothers. More than 70% used sanitary pads and 99% of girls knew menses as a natural phenomenon. 80% of girls with good perception had no menses-related anxiety. 54% haven't even heard of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome. 40% have inhibition talking about menses to their father or brother. Among girls with good practice, 87% had a good perception.

Conclusions: Before bringing any change in menstrual practices, Family physicians can play a role in educating the girls about the significance of menstruation and the development of secondary sexual characteristics, the selection of a sanitary menstrual absorbent, and its proper disposal. Trained personnel, school teachers, and knowledgeable parents can play a very important role in imparting menstrual health-related information to adolescent girls.

Keywords: Adolescent girls; menarche; menstrual practices; menstruation; reproductive health; the stigma of menstruation.