Experiences, awareness, perceptions and attitudes of women and girls towards menstrual hygiene management and safe menstrual products in Pakistan

Malik, Madeeha; Hashmi, Ayisha; Hussain, Azhar; Khan, Waleed; Jahangir, Nabia; Malik, Anam; Ansari, Naima

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1242169

Cited by 4 publications

References 20 publications

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Menstrual hygiene management among reproductive‐aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh

Khan,

Khanam,

Chowdhury

et al. 2024

Health Science Reports

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BackgroundWomen with disabilities in low‐ and middle‐income countries face unique challenges in managing menstruation, affecting their health, dignity, and quality of life.AimThis study aimed to explore menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices among reproductive‐aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh and its impact on social participation.MethodsWe analyzed data from 51,535 women from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The outcome variables were: (i) material used to manage blood flow while menstruating (appropriate, inappropriate), (ii) availability of a private place for washing and changing menstruation rags (yes, no), and (iii) impact on attendance of social activities, school, or work during menstruation (yes, no). Disability status was considered as a major explanatory variable and categorized as no disabilities, moderate disabilities, and severe disabilities. Associations of outcome variables with explanatory variables were determined using a multilevel mixed‐effects binary logistic regression model adjusted for individual‐level factors, household‐level factors, and community‐level factors.ResultsAmong the sample, 2.7% reported severe disability and 19.2% moderate disabilities, with vision‐related disabilities (12.2%) being the most prevalent, followed by cognitive (9.5%) and walking disabilities (8.2%). Overall, 4% reported using inappropriate materials for menstrual flow, rising to 8.0% among those with severe disabilities and 5.8% for moderate disabilities. Women with moderate to severe disabilities had 33%–47% lower odds of using appropriate materials and 34%–44% lower odds of having a private place to change at home. Additionally, women with severe disabilities were 1.66 times more likely to report that menstruation impacted their social activities.ConclusionWomen with disabilities in Bangladesh face significant barriers to effective MHM. Addressing these issues requires targeted interventions, including disability‐inclusive menstrual health education, improved access to menstrual products and sanitation facilities, and community initiatives to reduce stigma.

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Menstrual hygiene management among reproductive‐aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh

Khan,

Khanam,

Chowdhury

et al. 2024

Health Science Reports

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Addressing the commercial determinants of menstrual health: a call to regulate menstrual product manufacturers

Brassart Olsen

2024

Health Promotion International

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Over the last two decades, menstrual health and hygiene have become increasingly common on the global health agenda. While governments and international organizations are adopting measures to make menstrual products more accessible, corporate actors producing them have only been subject to limited scrutiny. Yet, their products and commercial practices raise environmental, health, equity and societal issues, which warrant attention and regulation. As such, commercial disposable menstrual products are largely made up of plastic, sometimes as much as 90%. Menstrual pads and tampons also contain some chemicals, the health impact of which is still unclear. In addition, these products are often sold with high-profit margins, and marketing campaigns to sell such products tend to reinforce shame and secrecy. So far, no global standards exist to regulate menstrual products and manufacturers, and evidence in the field of menstrual health and hygiene is lagging behind. To fill this gap, countries have started to regulate menstrual products and the International Standards Organization is in the process of developing global standards to better regulate the content and labeling of menstrual products. To support the emergence of regulation in this area, this article conceptualizes for the first time a comprehensive framework for the regulation of menstrual product manufacturers. This framework encompasses five complementary measures to regulate the content; labeling; production and waste management; pricing; advertising and marketing of menstrual products. The article also calls for more research to produce evidence and for increased governmental and inter-governmental attention to menstrual product manufacturers.

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Menstrual hygiene management among reproductive-aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh

Khan,

Khanam,

Chowdhury

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background: Women with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries face unique challenges in managing menstruation, affecting their health, dignity, and quality of life. Objective: This study explored menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices among reproductive-aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh and its impact on social participation. Methods: We analyzed data from 51,535 women from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The outcome variables were: (i) material used to manage blood flow while menstruating (appropriate, inappropriate), (ii) availability of a private place for washing and changing menstruation rags (yes, no), and (iii) impacted in attendance of social activities, school, or work during menstruation (yes, no). Disability status was considered as major explanatory variable and categorized as no disabilities, moderate disabilities, and severe disabilities. Associations of outcome variables with explanatory variable were determined using a multilevel multinomial logistic regression model adjusted for individual-level factors, household-level factors, and community-level factors. Results: Among the sample, 2.7% reported severe disability and 19.2% moderate disabilities, with vision-related disabilities (12.2%) being the most prevalent, followed by cognitive (9.5%) and walking disabilities (8.2%). Overall, 4% reported using inappropriate materials for menstrual flow, rising to 8.0% among those with severe disabilities and 5.8% for moderate disabilities. Women with moderate to severe disabilities had 33-47% lower odds of using appropriate materials and 34-44% lower odds of having a private place

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Experiences, awareness, perceptions and attitudes of women and girls towards menstrual hygiene management and safe menstrual products in Pakistan

Cited by 4 publications

References 20 publications

Menstrual hygiene management among reproductive‐aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh

Menstrual hygiene management among reproductive‐aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh

Addressing the commercial determinants of menstrual health: a call to regulate menstrual product manufacturers

Menstrual hygiene management among reproductive-aged women with disabilities in Bangladesh

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