Ram Usha, Pradhan Manas R, Patel Sunita, Ram F
Professor, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India,
Assistant Professor, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India.
Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2020 Oct 23;46:223-234. doi: 10.1363/46e0320.
Hygienic use of absorbent products during menstruation is a challenge for young women in India, especially among the underprivileged, who lack knowledge and access to resources. Reuse of menstrual absorbents can be unhygienic and result in adverse health and other outcomes.
Data from the 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey-4 for 233,606 menstruating women aged 15-24 were used to examine levels and correlates of exclusive use of disposable absorbents during menstruation. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify disparities in exclusive use by such characteristics as caste, mass media exposure and interaction with health workers.
Exclusive use of disposable absorbents was low among young women overall (37%), and varied substantially by caste and other characteristics. Compared with women from general castes, those from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes had reduced odds of exclusive disposable absorbent use (odds ratios, 0.8-0.9). Disposable absorbent use was negatively associated with lower levels of education and household wealth, and rural residence. Compared with women who reported daily media exposure, those exposed less frequently had reduced odds of disposable absorbent use (0.7-0.9). Among those who recently met with a health worker, odds of use were lower if menstrual hygiene had not been discussed (0.9).
Promoting awareness of proper menstrual hygiene-through education, media campaigns and discussion with reproductive health workers-and targeted interventions to disseminate and subsidize the purchase of disposable sanitary napkins should be pursued to address health disparities.
在印度，经期卫生用品的卫生使用对年轻女性来说是一项挑战，尤其是在贫困女性中，她们缺乏相关知识和获取资源的途径。重复使用经期吸收用品可能不卫生，并导致不良健康后果及其他问题。
利用2015 - 2016年第四次全国家庭健康调查中233,606名15 - 24岁经期女性的数据，研究经期一次性吸收用品的独家使用水平及其相关因素。进行双变量和逻辑回归分析，以确定在种姓、大众媒体接触情况以及与卫生工作者互动等特征方面独家使用情况的差异。
总体而言，年轻女性中一次性吸收用品的独家使用率较低（37%），且因种姓和其他特征存在很大差异。与普通种姓的女性相比，在册种姓、在册部落和其他落后阶层的女性独家使用一次性吸收用品的几率较低（优势比为0.8 - 0.9）。一次性吸收用品的使用与较低的教育水平、家庭财富以及农村居住情况呈负相关。与每天接触媒体的女性相比，接触频率较低的女性使用一次性吸收用品的几率较低（0.7 - 0.9）。在最近与卫生工作者会面的女性中，如果没有讨论经期卫生问题，使用一次性吸收用品的几率较低（0.9）。
应通过教育、媒体宣传以及与生殖健康工作者的讨论来提高对正确经期卫生的认识，并采取针对性干预措施来推广和补贴一次性卫生巾的购买，以解决健康差异问题。
