Practices of Menstrual Hygiene among Adolescent Girls Attending Selected Secondary Schools

Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene is an essential component of adolescent girls’ health, influencing their school attendance, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. This study aimed to assess menstrual hygiene practices, their awareness levels, and the socio-cultural factors affecting menstrual behaviors among school-going adolescent girls in Bangladesh.

Materials and Methods: A descriptive type of cross-sectional survey was carried out from January to October 2025 among 333 adolescent girls from two different secondary schools situated at Keraniganj, Dhaka, by convenience sampling technique. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection through face-to-face interview. Finally, data was analyzed by SPSS software. Quality control and all ethical issues were maintained strictly.

Results: The mean (±SD) age of the adolescent girls for menstrual hygiene practices was 13.96 ± 1.44 years. In this present study, only half (50.5%) of the girls reported having prior knowledge about menstruation before they experienced their first period and mothers were the primary source 71.8% of menstrual knowledge. 66.4% of the respondents reported that there was availability of pad disposal at school. Most of the respondents (91.6%) were cleaning hands with soap after changing sanitary pads. Around 85% said they always cleaned their genitalia during menstruation. Nearly 49.5% respondents changed their pads twice a day. A signifi-cant majority of respondents (93.4%) take regular bath during menstruation. Most of the respondents (95.8%) used sanitary pad and others used cloths or tissue materials. Most of the respondents (93.4%) disposed sanitary materials in dustbins, 3.3% re-used it by washing,1.8% flushed them into the toilet. Another significant result found is that 46.5% of respondents didn’t miss their school during menstruation, while 33.3% reported missing school. A large portion (64.3%) of the respondents reported feeling shy when buying sanitary pads. However, despite ongoing stigma and emotional discomfort, awareness and hygiene practices have improved compared to earlier studies.

Conclusion: Menstrual hygiene practices among Bangladeshi adolescent girls have improved in terms of awareness and pad usage; however, socio-cultural taboos, limited school infrastructure, and affordability issues persist. Strengthening school-based menstrual education, improving access to affordable sanitary products, and challenging harmful cultural norms are vital for ensuring safe, dignified, and equitable menstrual health for all girls.

CME J 2026; 5(2): 42-50