Periods, Perceptions and Practice- A Study of Menstrual Awareness among Adolescent Girls in a Tribal District of Odisha, India

Abstract

Menstruation is a normal biological phenomenon. Still it is associated with misperceptions, malpractices

and challenges especially among female adolescents of low socioeconomic settings. The present study was

conducted to investigate the knowledge about menstruation, determinants of menstrual hygiene management

and the consequences of menstruation on college absenteeism in a tribal dominated backward district of

Odisha, India. A college based cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was undertaken among randomly

selected 740 female students who were attending 12th grade and undergraduate courses. About 64 % of

girls had inappropriate knowledge about menstruation and MHM. Only 38 % girls used disposable sanitary

napkins during menstruation. Almost 59 % of the respondents reported remaining absent from college during

periods. High educational status of mother was found to be strong predictor of appropriate knowledge about

menstruation among the adolescents. Economic constraint was found to be the major factor for not using

disposable sanitary napkins which in turn is one of the major causes of college absenteeism. Girls also

reported inability to change menstrual absorbents in college due to absence of proper disposal system.