ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES ON MENSTRUAL HYGIENE AMONG CHILD BEARING WOMEN IN SELECTED URBAN AREAS OF MUMBAI

Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) is essential to the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls. Hygiene during menstruation is an inevitable part of woman’s life. It is during this period a woman is regarded most vulnerable for developing any kind of reproductive tract infection, urinary tract infection, and various sexually transmitted diseases. Menstrual hygiene deals with special health care needs and requirements of women during monthly menstruation or menstrual cycle.

Aims and objectives: This study was planned to assess the Attitude and Practices of menstrual hygiene among women of child bearing age.

Methods and Materials: A quantitative cross sectional survey design was used to assess the Attitude and Practices of menstrual hygiene among women of child bearing age at a selected urban setting. The self-developed “Menstrual hygiene attitude and practice tool” was administered to a sample of 100 women of childbearing age by convenience sampling.

The menstrual hygiene attitude and Practices tool consists of two sections. demographic variables and attitude questionnaire

Results: The result revealed 49% (49) had moderately favourable attitude,27% (27) had unfavourable attitude and 24% (24). Regarding Practices 85% (85) of women uses sanitary pads,11% (11) menstrual cup.53% changes pad thrice a day,55% (55),98% (98) takes bath daily.

Conclusion: Study concludes that although the practices were followed by childbearing women, there is a gap between attitude and practices in terms of adopting reusable pads or ecofriendly menstrual products.  Hence, it is recommended that frequent health education sessions should be conducted by healthcare workers to improve their practices and minimize the  gap between attitude and practices on menstrual hygiene