Reproductive health and hygiene among adolescents

The onset of menstruation is one of the most important changes occurring among the girls during the adolescent years. The menstruation and menstrual practices are still clouded by taboos and socio cultural restrictions resulting in adolescent girls and remaining ignorant of the scientific facts and hygienic health practices, which sometimes result into adverse health outcomes. Adolescence is a transition stage in the life style, linking childhood to the adulthood during which physical, mental and social development takes place. For a girl, menstruation is a milestone and a sign of becoming a woman. During this phase of growth the girls first experience menstruation and related problems which is marked by feelings of anxiety and eagerness to know about this natural phenomenon. However, they do not get the appropriate knowledge due to lack of a proper health education programme in schools. Moreover, the traditional Indian society regards talks on such topics as taboo and discourages open discussion on these issues. Unfortunately, the adolescent girls studying in co-educational institutions do not feel free enough to share it with their peers due to which they have high chances to lack adequate knowledge on the same that ultimately confuses them to identify their menstrual problem if any, adoption of healthy food and hygienic practices and right choice of treatment. Hence an effort was made to assess the knowledge on reproductive health among the adolescents (13 - 19) years studying in co-educational institutions (school and college) of Coimbatore. A descriptive study design was framed to conduct a study in co-educational institutions at Coimbatore. With the Interview schedule which consisted of 40 questions totally 144 data were collected based on convenience sampling technique and the results of the study denote that only 67.36% of the girls know about menstruation in prior to the very first menarche and a major proportion of the respondents do not restrict any foods which 27.7% of the girls restrict the foods in order to stabilize the menstrual flow. Almost all the girls care their perineum but due to various reasons and wit distinct use of toilet articles. A very small proportion of the girls suffer from menstrual problems for which some practice self medications and, some are under treatment and some have recovered after treatment.