Resources / Knowledge and practice regarding menstrual hygiene in rural adolescent girls of Nepal

Summary

This study was done to evaluate the knowledge and practice on different aspects of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in Nepal.

155 adolescent girls of age 13-15 years from 3 schools of Shivanagar and Patihani village development committees of Chitwan district were involved in this study. The study revealed that although knowledge was better than practice, both were not satisfactory. Girls were not properly maintaining menstrual hygiene. Only 6.0% of girls knew that menstruation is a physiologic process, 36.7% knew that it is caused by hormones. Ninety-four percentages of them use the pads during the period but only 11.3% dispose it. Overall knowledge and practice were 40.6% and 12.9% respectively.  Girls should be educated about the process and significance of menstruation, use of proper pads or absorbents and its proper disposal. This can be achieved by giving them proper training and health education (by teachers, family members, health educators, and media) so that there won't be any misconception to the adolescent girls regarding menstrual hygiene.