Menstrual Hygiene Knowledge and Practices among Senior High School Students in the New Juabeng North Municipality of Ghana

Abstract Background Despite menstruation being a natural and inevitable process, adolescent girls continue to face challenges with several misconceptions and myths. Despite the numerous efforts and campaigns, the clouded knowledge of individuals and unhygienic methods in managing menstruation leads to various adverse social and health outcomes. Thus, this study sought to examine knowledge and menstrual hygiene management practices among female senior high school students in the New Juaben Municipality. Methods A cross-sectional study using a quantitative approach to investigate the phenomenon in 2 senior high schools in the New Juaben North Municipality. A total of 557 respondents were randomly sampled for the study. Data was analyzed descriptively and presented in frequency tables, pie, and bar charts. Results Overall, 61.22% of respondents had good knowledge, 21.36% exhibited moderate knowledge and 17.41% showed poor knowledge on menstrual hygiene management. The commonest sources of information were teachers (301), mothers (236) and friends (210). About 57% adopted good menstrual hygiene practices while 43% engaged in poor practices. Disposable sanitary pads (97.44%) were the most widely used sanitary material. Most of the students (296) burn their used sanitary pads when at home but disposed them into bins when at school (261). Conclusion Considering the sensitive nature of menstruation, any small knowledge gap translates to a gap in optimal health and social acceptance which influences education. Stakeholders should provide training as part of the educational curriculum to improve knowledge and provide a conducive environment to foster good practices.