Table 2 Knowledge and information about menstrual hygiene management among secondary school girls in Boset district, Central Ethiopia, 2022 (n = 629)
Variables | Categories | Frequency | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
Heard about menstruation before menarche | Yes | 472 | 75.0 |
No | 157 | 25.0 | |
Source of information about menstruation (n = 472) | Mother | 204 | 43.2 |
School | 157 | 33.3 | |
Health professionals | 84 | 17.8 | |
Others | 27 | 5.7 | |
Menstruation | Is a physiological process | 496 | 78.9 |
Is a pathological process | 31 | 4.9 | |
 A curse from God | 73 | 11.6 | |
I don’t know | 29 | 4.6 | |
Source of blood during menstruation | Uterus | 312 | 49.6 |
Vagina | 222 | 35.3 | |
Urinary Bladder | 53 | 8.4 | |
Abdomen | 22 | 3.5 | |
I don’t know | 20 | 3.2 | |
Cause of menstruation | Hormone Action | 351 | 55.8 |
Curse of God | 199 | 31.6 | |
Disease | 39 | 6.2 | |
I don’t know | 40 | 6.4 | |
Mensuration is a lifelong process | Yes | 215 | 34.2 |
No | 414 | 65.8 | |
Normal menstrual bleeding duration | < 2 days | 43 | 6.8 |
2–7 days | 536 | 85.2 | |
> 7 days | 30 | 4.8 | |
I don’t know | 20 | 3.2 | |
The normal duration of the menstrual cycle | < 20 | 74 | 11.8 |
20–35 days | 339 | 53.9 | |
> 35 days | 145 | 23.1 | |
I don’t know | 71 | 11.3 | |
Know menstrual blood is unhygienic | Yes | 503 | 80.0 |
No | 126 | 20.0 | |
Know that there is foul smelling | Yes | 479 | 76.2 |
No | 150 | 23.8 | |
Know sanitary pads in the market | Yes | 383 | 60.9 |
No | 246 | 39.1 | |
Freely discuss with parents, and friends about menstrual issues | Yes | 209 | 33.2 |
No | 420 | 66.8 | |
Reason for not discussion with parents, and friends (n = 420) | Shamefulness | 312 | 74.3 |
Privacy or secrecy | 80 | 19 | |
Not habitual | 28 | 6.7 | |
Overall knowledge status | Good | 364 | 57.9 |
Poor | 265 | 42.1 |