Health Education Camps on Menstrual Hygiene Problems and Management among the Adolescent Girls - A Community-Based Study

Menstruation is a natural process, but it is still a taboo in Indian society. Menstruation is surrounded by various psychological and religious barriers due to lack of knowledge about the scientific process of menstruation. Many girls residing in slum areas are unaware of what actually happens during menstrual cycle. Although menstruation is a natural process, it is linked with several perceptions and practices within the community, which sometimes may result in adverse health outcomes. Poor genital hygiene negatively affects adolescents’ health. Most girls are unaware and unprepared for menarche as they are not informed about menstruation. Health education camps on menstrual hygiene problems and management among the adolescent girls-a community-based study was planned to assess the effectiveness of the camps in creating awareness among the adolescent girls and to study the practical problems in management of menstrual hygiene among the adolescent girls. This study revealed that though the menstrual hygiene was unsatisfactory among adolescent girls, the awareness levels after the camps have been increased significantly. Since, majority of the girls were working, number of camps and awareness programmes need to be increased to educate the girls along with the whole family for a healthy and safe hygiene practices. Large number of napkins may be made available at affordable price is also need of the hour for girls.