scholarly journals Understanding Period Poverty: Socio-Economic Inequalities in Menstrual Hygiene Management in Eight Low- and Middle-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2571
Author(s):  
Laura Rossouw ◽  
Hana Ross
Keyword(s):  
Decomposition Methods ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Menstrual Health ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Sanitary Pads ◽  
Unequal Access

Menstrual hygiene management and health is increasingly gaining policy importance in a bid to promote dignity, gender equality and reproductive health. Effective and adequate menstrual hygiene management requires women and girls to have access to their menstrual health materials and products of choice, but also extends into having private, clean and safe spaces for using these materials. The paper provides empirical evidence of the inequality in menstrual hygiene management in Kinshasa (DRC), Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rajasthan (India), Indonesia, Nigeria and Uganda using concentration indices and decomposition methods. There is consistent evidence of wealth-related inequality in the conditions of menstrual hygiene management spaces as well as access to sanitary pads across all countries. Wealth, education, the rural-urban divide and infrastructural limitations of the household are major contributors to these inequalities. While wealth is identified as one of the key drivers of unequal access to menstrual hygiene management, other socio-economic, environmental and household factors require urgent policy attention. This specifically includes the lack of safe MHM spaces which threaten the health and dignity of women and girls.

scholarly journals Menstrual Hygiene Management and Waste Disposal in Low and Middle Income Countries—A Review of the Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 2562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myles Elledge ◽  
Arundati Muralidharan ◽  
Alison Parker ◽  
Kristin Ravndal ◽  
Mariam Siddiqui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Sanitation Systems ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) has gained some attention and several literature reviews have been published. However, both original papers and reviews tend to focus on absorbent access and use and not on the disposal of menstrual waste. This review aims to fill a gap in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector by bringing a focus specifically on menstrual hygiene safe disposal in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). We reviewed published literature since 2002 on menstrual hygiene with a focus on menstrual waste management and menstrual absorbent disposal in LMIC. Database searches were conducted of both peer reviewed literature and grey literature, in addition to hand searching of references of relevant earlier literature reviews. In total 152 articles and reports were identified and 75 met the inclusion criteria and was included in the final review. Existing polices on MHM was also reviewed with a focus on India and South Africa. The review showed that disposal of menstrual waste is often neglected MHM and sanitation value chains, leading to improper disposal and negative impacts on users, the sanitation systems and the environment. Findings call for further research to gain better understandings of MHM waste streams, disposal behaviors, absorbent materials and waste management technologies to deliver health, safety, mobility and dignity for women and girls.

scholarly journals Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent schoolgirls in low- and middle-income countries: research priorities

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 33032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope A. Phillips-Howard ◽  
Bethany Caruso ◽  
Belen Torondel ◽  
Garazi Zulaika ◽  
Murat Sahin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Priorities ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Low And Middle Income

scholarly journals Piloting an acceptable and feasible menstrual hygiene products disposal system in urban and rural schools in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farjana Jahan ◽  
Md. Nuruzzaman ◽  
Farhana Sultana ◽  
Mehjabin Tishan Mahfuz ◽  
Mahbubur Rahman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Schools ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Disposal Options ◽  
Menstrual Products

Abstract Background Access to washroom facilities and a place to dispose of menstrual waste are prerequisites for optimal menstrual hygiene management in schools. Like other low- and middle-income countries, Bangladeshi schools lack facilities for girls to change and dispose of their menstrual absorbents. We explored existing systems for disposing of menstrual absorbent wastes in urban and rural schools of Bangladesh and assessed the feasibility and acceptability of alternative disposal options. Methods We explored how girls dispose of their menstrual products, identified girls’ preferences and choices for a disposal system and piloted four disposal options in four different schools. We then implemented one preferred option in four additional schools. We explored girls’, teachers’, and janitors’ perspectives and evaluated the acceptability, feasibility, and potential for sustainability of the piloted disposal system. Results Barriers to optimal menstrual hygiene management included lack of functional toilets and private locations for changing menstrual products, and limited options for disposal. Girls, teachers, and janitors preferred and ranked the chute disposal system as their first choice, because it has large capacity (765 L), is relatively durable, requires less maintenance, and will take longer time to fill. During implementation of the chute disposal system in four schools, girls, teachers, and janitors reported positive changes in toilet cleanliness and menstrual products disposal resulting from the intervention. Conclusions The chute disposal system for menstrual products is a durable option that does not require frequent emptying or regular maintenance, and is accepted by schoolgirls and janitors alike, and can improve conditions for menstrual hygiene management in schools. However, regular supervision, motivation of girls to correctly dispose of their products, and a long-term maintenance and management plan for the system are necessary.

scholarly journals Menstrual cup: awareness among reproductive women

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1382
Author(s):  
Shwetha Ballal K. ◽  
Amritha Bhandary
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Simple Question ◽  
Sanitary Pads

Background: Menstrual cup is an alternative to sanitary pads, which has received attention in relatively small-scale studies in high income, and low- and middle-income countries, including among schoolgirls. Made of high-grade medical grade silicone (biodegradable) have the advantage of reuse, and can potentially last up to 10 years. Objective of this study was to assess and analyse the awareness regarding menstrual cup among the women of reproductive age group.Methods: Data collected from the selected eligible participants by an interviewer administered study proforma. It is a descriptive cross-sectional study over 1 month in women in reproductive age in A. J. Institute Mangalore, Karnataka, India.Results: A total 82% were aware about menstrual cup but only 2.6% have used it.Conclusions: One challenge of menstruation that is taken for granted in affluent countries is the simple question of how to manage or contain the menstrual flow and what happens to a girl or woman who is not able to do this successfully. Menstrual hygiene management is therefore an increasingly important (yet often unrecognized) issue that is heavily intertwined with girls’ education, empowerment, and social development.

Menstrual hygiene management among visually impaired women

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-362
Author(s):  
Tuğba Dündar ◽  
Sevgi Özsoy
Keyword(s):  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Normal Cycle ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Start Date ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Sanitary Pads

This descriptive study aimed to determine the menstrual hygiene management among visually impaired women. The study sample included 187 visually impaired women. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Of the visually impaired women, 61.5% had knowledge of menstrual hygiene management. They obtained this information mostly from their mothers (49.5%). Of them, 95.7% used sanitary pads, 52.4% changed their sanitary pads less than four times a day. Only 52.9% of the women managed their menstrual hygiene dependently. Most of the women determined the start date of their menstrual cycle noticing the smell of blood and determined the end date monitoring the duration of their normal cycle. In conclusion, visually impaired women had difficulty in managing their menstrual periods independently, their menstrual hygiene practices were not at a desired level, almost half of them received support in menstrual hygiene management, most of them used some indicators to determine the start/end of their menstrual period.

Menstrual hygiene management among girls at a peri-urban senior high school in the Volta Region, Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Aku Baku ◽  
Victor Adrakpanya ◽  
Kennedy Diema Konlan ◽  
Peter Adatara
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Senior High School ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Volta Region ◽  
Sanitary Pads ◽  
Tract Infections

Background Young women and adolescent girls experience many challenges in their lives related to sanitation, hygiene, and menstruation. These challenges are often seen in a school setting and are more intense in peri-urban areas, where the infrastructure in educational institutions is often outpaced by the population, generating poor sanitary conditions. This can lead to adolescent girls contracting reproductive tract infections, such as candidiasis, as a result of poor menstrual hygiene. This study assessed menstrual hygiene management among students at a senior high school in the Volta Region, Ghana, in order to identify improvements to be made by school authorities to improve the health and comfort of students during menstruation. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted among 265 students aged 13–22 years, who had attained menarche. A pretested, structured questionnaire was used to collect data on their menstruation knowledge and practices, and the available sanitary facilities for menstrual hygiene management in the school. This was followed by an evaluation of the available facilities using a survey process. The Pearson chi-squared test was used to test the association between a student's year group and their knowledge and practices. Results The majority of the girls had accurate knowledge on menstruation (52.8% reported the correct length of a woman's menses, 74.7% correctly reported that a woman's menses comes once a month). However, the majority (63%) of participants reported the belief that menstrual blood is unhygienic and this belief was significantly associated with year group (P<0.00). When reporting on their practices during menstruation, the majority (76.2%) bathed twice a day and most (47.2%) changed their sanitary product twice a day. The frequency of these practices was significantly associated with year group (P=0.017 and P≤0.00, respectively). Only one-third (33.6%) of girls reported always having access to water for washing when menstruating and only 24.9% reported always having access to soap. The survey of facilities revealed that there was no handwashing facility in the school. Conclusions There is a need for Ghanaian educational institutions to provide proper sanitary facilities and for parents to provide sanitary pads or towels, which will allow girls who are menstruating to be comfortable and free of reproductive health infections. To achieve this, school authorities should be educated on the importance of providing the necessary sanitary facilities and parents should be educated on the necessity of provision of sanitary pads.

Menstrual Hygiene Management- A Study among Adolescent Girls in Five Schools in Bo District, Sierra Leone

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Augustus Osborne ◽  
◽  
Bashiru Mohamed Koroma ◽  
Camilla M Bangura ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Collection Data ◽  
Sanitary Pads ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Menstruation can place significant impacts on girl’s health and education if they are not properly informed about effective menstrual hygiene management. The present study was undertaken to assess the knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in five schools in Bo district, Sierra Leone and to assess the restrictions practiced by them during menstruation. A cross sectional study design was carried out among 103 in November 2019. A self-administered structured questionnaire at schools was used for data collection. Data was collected regarding their knowledge about menstruation, from where they get information and practices followed to maintain menstrual hygiene, problems faced while attending school during menstruation and facilities available in school, etc. The analysis part was done with the help of SPSS version 25. Age of respondents varied between 12-21 years with the mean age of 16.5. 69.9% of the girls don’t know from were menstrual bleeding occurs. Majority of the girls are using sanitary pads as absorbent during menstruation. 42.7% of the girls said they have been restricted from praying when seeing their menses and 49.5% of the girls said they feel their school is uncomfortable to keep hygiene during menstruation. The findings led to the conclusion that the girls have deficient knowledge and inadequate practices regarding menstruation and its management.

scholarly journals Impact of pharmacist mediated educational program on knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 3083-3088
Author(s):  
Bhupalam Pradeepkumar ◽  
Narayana G ◽  
Haranath Chinthaginjala ◽  
Ramalingam P ◽  
Somasekhar Reddy K ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Hygiene Practice ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene ◽  
Menstrual Hygiene Management ◽  
Hygiene Management ◽  
Sanitary Pads ◽  
Knowledge And Practice ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The Impact

In India, awareness about menstruation before menarche was low, and it is viewed as unclean or dirty in society. In adolescent girls who attained menstruation for the first time, menstrual hygiene management is constrained by social, practical and economic factors such as the expense of sanitary pads, lack of water facilities, lack of private rooms for changing sanitary pads, and limited education about the facts of menstrual hygiene. The practice of good menstrual hygiene reduces the incidence of reproductive tract infections. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of pharmacist mediated educational program on menstrual hygiene practice. An interventional study was carried out to assess the impact of menstrual hygiene practice on knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in backward areas of Andhra Pradesh, India. A self-administered questionnaire comprises socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge related to menstruation and menstrual hygiene practice was used to collect data. The collected data was analyzed to assess the knowledge related to the menstrual hygiene practice, school attendance during the menstrual period at baseline and after providing education on menstrual hygiene. The present study reveals that 52.52% of the participants had good knowledge about menstrual hygiene. Pharmacist mediated educational program showed great improvement on the practice of menstrual hygiene such as the use of sanitary pads was improved from 40.42% to 93.38%. After educational program school dropouts was greatly declined from 55.32% to 7.33%. Pharmacist mediated program had a positive impact on menstrual hygiene practice, Government of India need to conduct more educational programs on menstrual hygiene management at a community level.

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