Knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in secondary schools of Herat, Afghanistan

Goodness Ogeyi Odey; Moriam Adesola Adegbite; Nosaibah Razaqi; Gulalai Faizi; Habibah Afzali; Mozhgan Ahmadi; Zahra Frough; Sudip Bhattacharya; Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III

doi:10.56101/rimj.v2i1.20

Authors

Goodness Ogeyi Odey University of Calabar
Moriam Adesola Adegbite University of Ilorin
Nosaibah Razaqi Khyber Girls Medical College
Gulalai Faizi Kabul University of Medical Science
Habibah Afzali Ghalib University
Mozhgan Ahmadi Ghalib University
Zahra Frough Herat University
Sudip Bhattacharya Independent Public Health Researcher
Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56101/rimj.v2i1.20

Keywords:

Knowledge, Menstruation, Hygiene, Adolescent, Herat-Afghanistan

Abstract

Background: The experience of menarche is often confusing and causes ambivalence among adolescent girls due to their lack of information on the menstruation cycle and menstrual vaginal bleeding. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of menstruation and menstruation hygiene in Afghanistan.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using a survey questionnaire administered from 10 March 2021 to 15 April 2021 among secondary school girls in Herat, Afghanistan. It evaluated their knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene practices. 768 girls responded to the survey. Data was encoded and statistically analysed using SPSS.

Results: 53.3% of girls surveyed had a good knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene. 15.9% of girls surveyed who did not experience menarche showed a good knowledge score. In terms of practice, 32.9% took a rest and missed school during menstrual bleeding. 2.1% of the participants mentioned that teachers were the first source of information on menstruation and menstrual hygiene.

Conclusion: Knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene among girls surveyed was lower than in other countries. Awareness campaigns regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene are recommended. It is suggested to add a subject on these for secondary school girls to learn more and encourage them to openly discuss among themselves.

Author Biographies

Goodness Ogeyi Odey, University of Calabar

Department of Public Health, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.

Moriam Adesola Adegbite, University of Ilorin

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Nosaibah Razaqi, Khyber Girls Medical College

Medical Student, Khyber Girls Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Gulalai Faizi, Kabul University of Medical Science

Faculty of Stomatology, Kabul University of Medical Science, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Habibah Afzali, Ghalib University

Faculty of Medicine, Ghalib University, Herat, Afghanistan.

Mozhgan Ahmadi, Ghalib University

Medical Student, Ghalib University, Herat, Afghanistan

Zahra Frough, Herat University

Department of Pathology, Herat University, Herat, Afghanistan.

Sudip Bhattacharya, Independent Public Health Researcher

Independent Public Health Researcher, Dehradun, India

Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom

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