Perineal Hygienic Practices in Patients of Himalayan Foothills - A Descriptive Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND It has been said that health is wealth and when it comes to reproductive health of a women it has a significant value indeed. There is lot of loops and holes in perineal hygiene practices due to incomplete knowledge and various myth that is transferred from generation to generation in a family. The aim of the study was to study the perineal hygiene practices in women of Himalayan foothills. METHODS This is an observational study performed between March 2019 to February 2020 at AIIMS Rishikesh. Data was extracted from OPD records of patients which included details on perineal hygiene, routinely asked in one of the three units in department of obstetrics and gynaecology at AIIMS Rishikesh. RESULTS Total of 2400 women participated in the study. The mean age of subjects was 32± 6.9(Range 12 - 80 years). Maximum patients were married (92 %), mostly Hindus (48 %) belonging to upper lower class (37.5 %) according to modified Kuppuswamy socioeconomic scale. In this study we studied the routine perineal cleaning practices, Attention is being drawn to the fact that only 15 % of the subjects cleaned the genital area with water after urination, 5 % while changing pads during menstruation, only 1.5 % washed the genitalia immediately after sexual intercourse In present study the commonest method removal of perineal hair was shaving (38.4 %). While analysing menstrual hygiene, in present study, 42.5 % of study population was using sanitary pads from market and 35 % used homemade cloth pads. Ninety eight point seven percent of women avoided sexual intercourse during menstruation in present study. CONCLUSIONS Female genital hygiene is a vital topic. Awareness should be increased regarding maintenance of hygienic practices through health education programmes. More studies need to be performed in order to provide directions for proper female genital hygiene, as well as guidelines. KEY WORDS Perineal Hygiene, Pubic Hair Grooming, Menstrual Hygiene, Perineal Itching, Perineal Rashes, Long Mirror for Self Examination.