AHMEDABAD: The first occurrence of menstruation (menarche) still catches over 50% of schoolgirls in Ahmedabad unawares, claims a study based in schools around Civil Hospital in Asarva area. The study was conducted by Dr Martina Balat, Dr Saurabh Kumar Sahu and Dr Mitesh Patel with Department of Community Medicine at BJ Medical College and was published recently in National Journal of Community Medicine under the title ‘Assessment of Knowledge and Practice of Menstrual Hygiene Management among Adolescent School Girls in Ahmedabad City.’
The researchers mentioned that a total of 430 adolescent girls from four schools in Asarva were selected for the study. Mean age of menarche was found to be 13.4 years in the larger age group of 11-16 years. ‘In this study, 46.9% and 48.1% of girls had good knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene respectively. For 54.8% girls, the main source of information were mothers. Only 8.1% of girls knew about source of blood during menses,’ mentioned the study, adding that 56.2% of the girls under study were using a sanitary pad.
Education and family income were directly in accordance with the awareness and hygiene practices — those having mothers who had primary or more education were more likely to have good practices. About 38.4% of the respondents were using cloth pad. Other sources for the girls for information included sisters, friends, teachers, relatives, textbooks and media. On a positive note, about 86.5% girls knew that poor menstrual hygiene can lead to infection.
Dr Usha Bohra, a city-based gynaecologist who conducts regular workshops for adolescent girls, said that teachers in urban setting and anganwadi/ ASHA workers have a major role to play to create awareness on the topic.
“The girls from upper strata of the society get to know about menarche from multiple sources, but we still need better engagement. Talks by experts such as gynaecologists or health workers in schools goes a long way to improve awareness,” she said.