Abstract Background and Aim: Menstrual hygiene management includes a healthy choice of sanitary hygiene material that is user-friendly and sustainable. The choice of menstrual absorbent must be an informed decision. This study aimed to find the effect of an educational intervention offering the basket of choice for menstrual management to choose a Sustainable Menstrual Hygiene Material (MHM). Materials and Methods: It was an interventional study where medical undergraduate girls were assessed for their preference, knowledge, and practices regarding menstrual absorbent. Postassessment, an interactive intervention session was held where different menstrual absorbents, their health impact, and other relevant things were discussed. A postintervention session was held after 2 months of intervention, where the same assessment was performed regarding preference, knowledge, and practices. The data were analyzed for proportions, and the McNemar test was run to assess the change in knowledge at a 95% confidence interval. Results: Among 273 participants in the preintervention evaluation, the majority (97.4%) unanimously preferred and were using disposable sanitary pads. More than 40% had experienced discomfort or other health problems associated with its use, yet they never chose to use any other material. Although there was a lack of knowledge of various MHMs, around 90% of the users reported satisfactory practices with the MHM in use. Postintervention, 38% of the 256 participants had changed their preference. Knowledge of MHM has significantly increased ( P = 0.03), as have better practices. Conclusion: An educational intervention focusing on the correct knowledge of menstrual absorbents should be provided before menarche to adopt the best suitable menstrual absorbent within their cultural context.
Tomar et al. (Tue,) studied this question.