Knowledge Attitude And Practices Towards Menstrual Hygiene Among Secondary School Girls In Makindye Division, Kampala District

Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene is a significant issue that every girl and woman has to deal with in her life. Unfortunately, health talks surrounding menstrual hygiene are minimal owing to the fact that the topic of menstruation is not discussed at all because teachers choose to avoid the taboo subject. We sought to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices towards menstrual hygiene among secondary school girls in Makindye division Kampala district.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among secondary school girls in two selected schools in Makindye, Kampala district, Uganda. Stratified sampling method was used to select participants whereas data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire developed by the researcher. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20 and a level of significance of 95% was considered in this study.

Results: 193 participants out of 196 invited participants fully completed the study. The mean age of the respondents was 14 years (S. D =2.6). A significantly high number of girls had good knowledge 133 (69%)and good attitude 124 (64.2%) towards menstrual hygiene. Menstrual hygiene practices included: use of sanitary pads, satisfactory facilities for menstrual hygiene at school, disposal of used sanitary materials in the toilet/latrine. Restrictions during menstruation included: not being allowed to read the Quran or the Bible and cultural practices such as menstruation being seen as a disease and debilitating for women.

Conclusion: The plight of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls is challenging. There is need to create awareness on healthy menstrual practices. Formal as well as informal channels of communication such as teachers, school senior women, mothers, sisters and friends, need to be emphasized for the delivery of information on menstrual hygiene, however, it is very important that they have the right knowledge, attitude and practices on reproductive health. It is also essential to include menstrual hygiene as part of the package taught in the school curriculum's or during health education.