KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF MENSTURAL HYGIENE ASSESSMENT AMONG FEMALE SUBJECTS IN AGUOBIRI COMMUNITY BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
Aim/ Objectives: This study assess the level of knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among adolescents and to determine the various menstrual hygiene practices maintain among female subjects between <14 – 19yrs in Aguobiri community. Methods: A cross sectional observational study design was employed in this study with133 structured questionnaires used to generate primary data from the subjects using sampling method. Results: Findings from this study shows that age range of the respondents were<14yrs (18%), 14-17yrs (63.9%) and 18-19yrs (18.1%). Additionally, majority of the respondents were within class of Jss2-SS1 (45%) while farming (34%) was the most predominant occupation of the populace followed by fishing (23%), trading (28%), and civil servants (15%). Regarding hygiene related practice during menstrual period, the study revealed that 32% of the respondents used sanitary pad, 21% pieces of cloth, 12% tissue papers and 7.5% pieces of foam respectively. Furthermore findings from this study shows that 32.3% of the respondents use only water to wash their body after removal of sanitary pad, 39.8% use water and soap, while 21.1% of the respondents cleans their body with tissue papers and 6.8% use none of the above. Regarding how respondents change sanitary pads during menstruation- one per day (39.8%), twice per day (39.8%), trice per day (17.3%), and four per day (3.1%). The observable difference may be attributed to socio-economic condition among the subjects. Conclusion: This study have shown that majority of the respondents have a poor knowledge of good menstrual hygiene. Thus the use of non-sanitary (30.8%) pad by the respondents and its potential risk factors should be discourage through the creation of awareness and enlightenment campaign by health workers in the community and at the state level .
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