ANNOUNCEMENTS
Menstruation is a multi-faceted part of life involving complex linkages between social, cultural, economic, environmental, health, religious, and gender issues. This mixed method cross-sectional study follows the findings from the field, which was two blocks in the Raigad district of Maharashtra and traces the menstrual hygiene knowledge and practices, and, access and usage of different products of 301 girls and women in the area.
Some important results were:
• Low awareness among girls and women about the process of menstruation and poor product disposal practices
• 62.6% of the respondents did not know the correct source of flow of the menstrual blood
• Only 26% respondents were aware about menstruation before attaining menarche
• 40% of the menstruating tribal population only knew about the cloth as a menstrual product
• Only 65% of cloth users dried their cloth pieces in sunlight
• 71% of the commercial sanitary pad users washed their pads before disposing them off
• 95% of the respondents wanted to know more about different menstrual products and their usage
Based on these, a two part campaign was suggested, one part being for awareness, the other being cloth pads making training. A limitation of the study was that, it did not account for the respondents’ education and income levels.
Keywords: “Menstruation”, “Menstrual Hygiene”, “Menstrual Practices”, “Menarche”, “Menstrual Awareness”, “Reusable Cloth Pads”
