Is menstrual hygiene and management an issue for adolescent school girls? : a comparative study of four schools in different settings of Nepal

This small scale study was undertaken with the objective of determining the prevailing knowledge and experiences of menstrual hygiene and management, and their implications, among adolescent school girls in rural and urban settings of Nepal.
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study in which mixed methods were applied. Data was collected from 204 adolescent school girls from four government secondary schools, one in each of Dhading, Morang, Lalitpur and Kathmandu districts, using self-administered structured close-ended questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGD), and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Four main recurrent themes have been identified in the analysis: a) knowledge and beliefs b) experiences during menstruation c) seclusion, exclusion and absenteeism and d) hygiene practices. Restrictions during menstruation that limit daily activities and routine are widely practiced. Further, lack of small things required for maintaining basic hygiene during menstruation, like privacy, water supply and waste disposal compound the situation. Conscious efforts need to be made to address lack of privacy, which is an important determinant for proper practice of menstrual hygiene and also school attendance.