ABSTRACT:
Introduction- Menstruation is a normal physiological process that signifies the onset of female’s reproductive phase of life. Reproductive health remains a significant area of concern due to limited awareness and inadequate knowledge among girls. This leads to misconceptions and poor practices among adolescent girls. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding menstruation among adolescent girls in rural area of Ludhiana. Methodology- This cross- sectional study was conducted among 230 adolescent girls aged 13-17 years in field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, DMC&H, Ludhiana, Punjab, India selected through systematic random sampling. Data included socio-demographic details and their Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding menstruation. Data was entered in excel and analysed using SPSS26.0 Results- The mean age of the subjects was 14.9 ±1.3 years. Mean age of menarche was 12.4±1.2 years. Mother was the primary source of information regarding menstruation in 65.6% subjects. Menstruation as normal process was known to 71.3% subjects and 51.3% girls believed in avoiding going to religious places and 66% in avoiding certain foods. In practice, almost half of the girls avoided going to place of worship and eating certain foods. Majority (95%) used sanitary pad as menstrual absorbent. Wrapping and throwing in dustbin was done by 65.9% subjects. School was skipped by 37.9% of the subjects. The association of method of disposal of menstrual absorbent with socio-economic status was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion- The study highlighted the need for education and counselling regarding menstrual hygiene and misconceptions regarding menstruation.