Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges Regarding Menstrual Hygiene Among Women in Karachi, Pakistan: A Comparison Between General Population and Healthcare Workers

Assessment of Knowledge of Sexual Reproductive Health Among Female University Students in Jordan

BACKGROUND

Sexual reproductive health (SRH) is an important aspect of human life, especially in the younger age groups. Young adults are the most vulnerable group to SRH consequences, as they have limited access to its information and services. This is one of the earliest studies conducted to examine the knowledge of SRH among female university students in Jordan. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of SRH among female Jordanian university students and to determine the social and individual factors that may affect this knowledge.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional design was used, and a convenient sample consisting of 427 female university students was recruited from the University of Jordan. The inclusion criteria were female unmarried students aged 18-25 years old, while the exclusion criteria were married, divorced, or engaged female students. A valid and reliable self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the student's knowledge of SRH. Data were collected between February 21 and March 20, 2022. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0 (Released 2015; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) was used for data analysis, and an independent sample t-test was used to investigate mean differences in the SRH score based on demographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Overall, it was found that only 26.2% of all the participants had adequate knowledge of SRH. Additionally, they have inadequate knowledge regarding the different aspects of SRH such as premarital, vaccination, menstruation, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), except for the section on folic acid, which demonstrated adequate knowledge. Furthermore, the participants' scores of total SRH knowledge were significantly different based on their original place of living, current residency, educational level, religion, and university faculty.

CONCLUSION

Due to the inadequate level of knowledge, this study highlights the need to establish educational and awareness programs concerning SRH and to incorporate this subject into the university and school curricula.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Menstrual Hygiene among Girls in Ghizer, Gilgit, Pakistan

INTRODUCTION

Menstrual hygiene is a critical issue encountered by women and girls of reproductive age that negatively affects their health and empowerment. It is still deemed a taboo subject in several parts of the world, and girls hesitate to discuss menstruation with their family members, friends, or schoolteachers, which creates hurdles when they experience their menarche. Girls residing in rural areas encounter more problems, since they lack proper resources and knowledge to manage their menstruation in school as well as at home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the menstrual hygiene of girls residing in rural areas of Gilgit, Pakistan.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to assess the study questions. The consecutive sampling technique was applied to recruit 300 female participants from remote areas of Gilgit, Pakistan, who were 13 to 22 years old. A pre-tested questionnaire was utilized to collect the data, and SPSS version 21.0 was used to analyze them.

RESULTS

The study found that more than half of the participants had a poor level of knowledge and practices and negative attitudes towards menstrual hygiene. This could be due to many cultural and social factors associated with menstrual hygiene.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded that the study participants were not knowledgeable about menstrual hygiene. They had poor practices and attitudes regarding menstrual hygiene. Hence, it is recommended that frequent sessions should be conducted by healthcare workers to enhance the knowledge of parents, teachers, and young girls, to increase their positive attitudes and practices regarding menstrual hygiene.