Assessment of Knowledge and Hygienic Practices Regarding Menstruation for Visually Impaired Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Background: Menstruation is part of the female reproductive cycle starts when girls become sexually mature at the time of puberty. A visually challenged female faces daily extra challenges for bearing their everyday skills including menstruation hygiene management. Hygienic practices during menstruation are very important as poor menstruation affects the health by increasing vulnerability to infections. Aim: The study was aimed to assess knowledge and hygienic practices regarding menstruation for visually impaired adolescent girls. Subjects and method: Research design: A descriptive research design was used. Setting: The study was carried out in El-Nor and El-Aml schools in Port-Said city & Damietta city., which included two schools one school at each city. Sample: Purposive sampling included 50 visually impaired menstruated adolescent girls (27) visually impaired girl at Port-Said City and (23) visually impaired girl at Damietta city. Tools of data collection: first, Structured Interviewing Questionnaire, second, Health practices during menstruation, and third, Girls behaviors and restrictions during menstruation. Results: More than three quarters of the studied visually impaired adolescent girls had poor level of total knowledge regarding menstruation and the majority of them had poor level of health practices during menstruation. Conclusion: There were lack of visually impaired adolescent girls' knowledge and practices regarding menstruation. Recommendations: Audio educational sessions should be applied to raise awareness and improve health practices of visually impaired adolescent girls regarding menstruation.