The perceptions of female youth regarding menstrual hygiene management in Kameeldrift, Tshwane

Abstract

Over millions of young girls and women menstruate daily in the world, as such, menstruation can be regarded as a universal natural process amongst the female population. Despite menstruation being seen as a normal process that women must go through, challenges still exist that prevent women to go through their menstrual cycle with psychological ease and comfort. These challenges are further perpetuated by societal, religious, cultural factors, the ability to access menstrual products, and the availability of public amenities. Previous and current studies have mostly focused on ascertaining the menstrual experiences of young girls who are still in school, but little is known about the perceptions that female youth have when it comes to the phenomenon of menstrual hygiene management. Menstrual hygiene management in South Africa is a major public health concern, therefore, menstrual hygiene management practices and interventions should be aligned within their unique country and community-specific context. The present study explored and described the perceptions of female youth regarding menstrual hygiene management in Kameeldrift, Tshwane. The present study followed a qualitative research approach which was used and guided the research study. Phenomenology design was selected and used to uncover and describe common perceptions and experiences of menstruation and its management amongst the female youth of Kameeldrift. Purposive sampling technique and a semi-structured interview guided with open-ended questions were used in the present study, and face-to-face interviews were utilised to gather data for the present study. Seven interviews were conducted with menstruating female youth of Kameeldrift, in Tshwane, five participants who are currently employed at Roodeplaat Orphan & Vulnerable Organisation, one participant who is employed at Kameeldrift Clinic, and one unemployed community member. The researcher reported on all seven participants who participated in the present study, which also included the pilot done before conducting the actual study. The findings indicated that participants did understand menstruation and menstrual hygiene management even though gaps around knowledge on the physiological aspects of menstruation exist. The study found that knowledge about reproductive health and sexual education was first imposed in primary school, specifically the subject of Life Orientation. The study further found that preparation, through accurate information being shared, during menarche is very essential in shaping future experiences and behaviours towards the phenomenon of menstruation. The study revealed that belief systems and environmental issues, such as lack of resources, do serve as a barrier towards proper menstrual hygiene management amongst female youth. The present study also revealed that menstruating female youth still need support for them to cope with the phenomenon including psychosocial challenges that they encounter. Specifically, the study uncovered that menstruating female youth still need support through the provision of sanitary pads to absorb menstrual blood. Lack of awareness about social work services; including no knowledge amongst the majority of female youth participants about the washable sanitary pad project in their community; was also uncovered and this limited awareness has implications on help-seeking behaviours. Lastly, the study found that in responding to the menstrual needs of female youth, all social work methods are needed to render psychosocial support from a holistic point of view. The study concludes that menstruating female youth do know about menstruation and menstrual hygiene management, even though a gap around the physiology of menstruation exists resulting in some misconceptions about the phenomenon. It can be concluded that the needs of menstruating female youth are often overlooked, and they are faced with various challenges which make their perceptions of this natural process difficult. Recommendations in the present study include the need for the profession of social work to render holistic support through rendering services from all social work methods and basing interventions within the specific menstrual needs of the community context.