Association between unhygienic menstrual management practices and prevalence of lower reproductive tract infections: a hospital-based cross-sectional study in Odisha, India.

Background: The extent to which reproductive tract infections (RTIs) are associated with poor menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices has not been extensively studied. We aimed to determine whether poor menstrual hygiene practices were associated with three common infections of the lower reproductive tract; Bacterial vaginosis (BV), Candida, and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV).

Methods: Non-pregnant women of reproductive age (18-45 years) and attending one of two hospitals in Odisha, India, between April 2015 and February 2016 were recruited for the study.

Higher vaginal pH in Trichomonas vaginalis infection with intermediate Nugent score in reproductive-age women-a hospital-based cross-sectional study in Odisha, India.

A close association between Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infection and bacterial vaginosis (BV) has been reported. Some other studies have found association is stronger with intermediate Nugent score than BV. Most studies have used wet mount microscopy, a relatively insensitive method, to detect TV infection.

Menstrual Hygiene Practices, WASH Access and the Risk of Urogenital Infection in Women from Odisha, India.

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices vary worldwide and depend on the individual's socioeconomic status, personal preferences, local traditions and beliefs, and access to water and sanitation resources. MHM practices can be particularly unhygienic and inconvenient for girls and women in poorer settings. Little is known about whether unhygienic MHM practices increase a woman's exposure to urogenital infections, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV) and urinary tract infection (UTI).