Background: Menstrual hygiene health has paramount importance for the adolescents and women. The evidence based studies on menstrual hygiene management are very few and far less in rural setting of Bangladesh possibly for lack of interest in research and non-availability of the fund. Relatively menstrual hygiene do not lessen its importance as a subject as it one of the major cause of reproductive tract infections of adolescents and women. Methods: The study had two sets of data: one set of data was collected from the community through in-depth interview and another was from Informal Group Discussions (IGD). Fisher (1993) formula was followed to determine the sample size. The data has been analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive and Qualitative statistical tools were performed to analyze the collected data. A total 500 adolescents and women were interviewed from four Upazilas. Results: Mothers (78%) were the reliable place for the sharing respondent's first menstrual experiences. About 95% respondents believed myths of the society about menstrual hygiene. About 78% respondents were used to old cloth. The collection of menstrual hygiene materials and dispose of used products were vexing problems in the rural setting. The major portion (63%) has dreamed of having of menstrual hygiene product with good quality. The low cost of a product (p<.001), expected healthcare services (p<.040), awareness programs (p<.001), social media (p<.002) are useful tools to increase the user's having menstrual hygiene products and receiving services in the rural setting. Conclusions: The government should have scheme for adolescents and women at rural setting address to culture and beliefs, resources and practice. To improve the capacity of adolescents and women to practice quality and affordable sanitary napkin, it is recommended that to start sensitizing activities at community setting immediately.

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The primary objective of the study was to determine the extent of pre- and extra-marital sexual involvement of married males of slums. Data were collected through a sample survey and in-depth interviews. The respondents were low-income married male household heads living in slums of Bangladesh. The systematic random sampling technique was used for selecting the respondents. A total of 408 male samples were drawn from a slum of about 10, 000 households. During the survey, resource persons were identified for in-depth interviews. A total of 37 in-depth interviews were conducted. A total of 89% of the respondents admitted having some kinds of pre-marital sexual experiences and about 81% of them had pre-marital intercourse. Among the respondents with pre-marital sex experience, about 63% of them had sexual intercourse with female sex workers. Over 26% of the respondents with pre-marital sex experience had intercourse with their unmarried first cousins before marriage. Nearly 37% of the respondents with premarital sex experience had intercourse with fictive kin. About 66% of the total sampled respondents of the study had extra-marital sexual affairs and about 55 % of them had intercourse with one or more women other than their wives. The major extra-marital sex partners were sex workers (43%), followed by fictive kin (32%), sisters-in-law (20%), and extra-marital lovers (16%). Religious distribution shows that Muslims and Hindus do not differ with regard to sexual behaviors. Although the samples of the study do not represent the entire population of the country, it definitely represents the growing lower class urban population who constitute considerable proportion of the city population. The above findings convincingly raise the question of puritan character of Bangladesh society.

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The main objective of the study is to measure the change that might have taken place for having various interventions in the rural community. The survey was conducted in two locations: one, where specific program interventions took place (Experimental area) and two, where specific interventions did not take place (Control area). A total of 300 female respondents were interviewed at their residence; of them 200 were from the experimental area and 100 from the control area. They were selected using systemic random sample technique. Data were collected using an interview schedule having both open and close ended questions. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Analysis mostly remained at univeraite and bivariate levels. Statistics used are mostly frequency distribution, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, and Chi-square tests. The mean and median ages of the respondents were 36 and 35 years respectively. The literacy rate is 70% in experimental area as against 64% in control area. The overwhelming majority of the respondents (91%) are housewives in both study places. The per capita income of the experimental area is Tk. 125,425.0 as against Tk. 101,325.o of the control area and experimental area has 80% nuclear families as against 72% in control area. Experimental area sanitation condition was better (94%) than control area (85%). About 88% respondents (experimental area) have knowledge on hygienic habits as against 65% of the control area. Respondents of experimental area use tube well water (92%) for cooking purpose, 77% for bathing purpose, 84% use own tube well and control area about 80% use water for cooking, 13% for bathing and 49% has own tube well respectively. The contraceptive use rate was in experimental area about 63% while it was only 45% in control area respondents. But home delivery rate is lower (68%) compared to the control area (82%) and experimental area is ahead of the control area on every count of microcredit, such as credit disbursement, saving collection, IGA training and development activities.