Knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among tribal adolescent girls in Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Background: Menarche is an important biological milestone in a woman’s life as it marks the onset of the reproductive phase of her life. The average age at menarche is mostly consistent across the populations, that is, between 12 and 13 years of age. Unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge on menstruation preparedness and management or due to shyness and embarrassment the situation becomes worse for girl. Menstruation is a natural process but it is still a taboo in Indian society as it is considered unclean and dirty.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 tribal adolescents in Visakhapatnam district, A. P.Results: 90% of adolescent girls know that menstruation is a normal process. Only 63.2% of adolescent girls know the correct duration of menstrual cycle. 95.6% of adolescent girls use sanitary pads. 97.2% of adolescent girl’s clean external genitalia before changing pad. 84% of adolescent girls can be able to change pad in school whenever necessary.Conclusions: The practices of menstrual hygiene were good except regarding disposal of menstrual materials but need improvement regarding knowledge about menstrual hygiene. It is very important that the mother to be armed with the correct and appropriate information on reproductive health, so that she can pass this knowledge to her next generation.