Understanding the social and physical menstrual health environment of secondary schools in Uganda: A qualitative methods study.

Adolescent girls face social, psychological, and physical problems managing menstruation in schools in low-resource settings. This study aimed to evaluate the social and physical menstrual health environment of secondary schools in Wakiso and Kalungu districts, Uganda, in preparation for a subsequent menstrual health intervention trial to improve education, health and wellbeing. We conducted a qualitative rapid assessment in 75 secondary schools in Uganda.

Research priorities for improving menstrual health across the life-course in low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Research on menstrual health is required to understand menstrual needs and generate solutions to improve health, wellbeing, and productivity. The identification of research priorities will help inform where to invest efforts and resources.

Objectives: To identify research priorities for menstrual health across the life-course, in consultation with a range of stakeholder groups from a variety of geographic regions, and to identify if menstrual health research priorities varied by expertise.

Indicators for National and Global Monitoring of Girls' Menstrual Health and Hygiene: Development of a Priority Shortlist.

Purpose: Despite the importance of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) for adolescent girls' health, education, and gender equality, few countries monitor MHH. MHH needs remain underprioritized, and progress achieved through policies, programs, or investments go unmeasured. This article reports the systematic development of an indicator shortlist to monitor adolescent girls' MHH at the national and global levels across low- and middle-income countries.

Menstrual health interventions, schooling, and mental health problems among Ugandan students (MENISCUS): study protocol for a school-based cluster-randomised trial.

Background: Menstrual health is an increasingly recognised public health issue, defined as complete physical, mental, and social well-being in relation to the menstrual cycle. The MENISCUS trial aims to assess whether a multi-component intervention addressing physical and emotional aspects of menstrual health improves educational attainment, mental health problems, menstrual management, self-efficacy, and quality of life among girls in secondary school in Uganda.

Methods: The study is a parallel-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial with 60 schools (clusters) in Wakiso and Kalungu districts, with a mixed-methods process evaluation to assess intervention fidelity and acceptability and economic and policy analyses.

Puberty health intervention to improve menstrual health and school attendance among adolescent girls in The Gambia: study methodology of a cluster-randomised controlled trial in rural Gambia (MEGAMBO TRIAL).

Background: Menstrual health (MH) is a recognised global public health challenge. Poor MH may lead to absence from school and work, and adverse health outcomes. However, reviews suggest a lack of rigorous evidence for the effectiveness of MH interventions on health and education outcomes.

Does a school-based intervention to engage parents change opportunity for handwashing with soap at home? Practical experience from the Mikono Safi trial in Northwestern Tanzania.

Background: School-based de-worming is advocated as a strategy for reducing the burden of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections among children. However, re-infection tends to occur rapidly, suggesting that comprehensive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) improvements may be needed to prevent this. We qualitatively assessed the influence of parental engagement activities on parents' motivation to improve WASH infrastructure and hygiene practices at home in the context of a school-based de-worming programme.

Effects of Menstrual Health and Hygiene on School Absenteeism and Drop-Out among Adolescent Girls in Rural Gambia.

Poor knowledge and management of menstruation impacts girls' school attendance and academic performance. This paper aims to explore how menstrual hygiene management practices and related factors influence school absenteeism and drop-out among primary and secondary school girls in rural Gambia. Mixed-method studies were conducted among students and key informants from 19 schools from July 2015-December 2017.

Co-development and piloting of a menstrual, sexual and reproductive health intervention to improve social and psychological outcomes among secondary schoolgirls in Northern Tanzania: the PASS MHW study protocol.

Introduction: Poor menstrual health negatively impacts psychosocial and physical health, and subsequently leads to poor school outcomes, but the effort to improve adolescent girls' menstrual health in Tanzania remains fragmented. This study aimed to develop and pilot a scalable, comprehensive menstrual, sexual and reproductive health (MSRH) intervention within Tanzanian government structures to improve MSRH practices and perceptions and the overall school climate to ensure the psychosocial well-being and optimal school participation and performance among secondary schoolgirls.

Methods And Analysis: This study will be conducted in three phases.

Menstrual characteristics, menstrual anxiety and school attendance among adolescents in Uganda: a longitudinal study.

Background: Qualitative data show negative impacts of menstruation on health and education in many settings, but there are few longitudinal quantitative studies of the impact of menstruation. We analyse associations with menstrual anxiety and school attendance in a study of Ugandan secondary school students.

Methods: Data were from a longitudinal pilot study of a menstrual health intervention (MENISCUS), conducted in two secondary schools in Entebbe sub-district, Uganda.

Effect of a combined household-level piped water and sanitation intervention on reported menstrual hygiene practices and symptoms of urogenital infections in rural Odisha, India.

Adequate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) requires access to water and sanitation and can be challenging for many women and girls living in resource-poor settings. Inadequate MHM has been associated with urogenital infections. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a combined household-level piped water and sanitation intervention on MHM practices and urogenital infection symptoms (UGS) among women living in rural communities of Odisha (India).

Are Nepal's water, sanitation and hygiene and menstrual hygiene policies and supporting documents inclusive of disability? A policy analysis.

Purpose: This study assesses the inclusion of disability in Nepal's policy and guidance relevant to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in comparison to gender. We investigated both policy formulation and implementation, using the Kavrepalanchok district as a case study.

Materials And Methods: We used the EquiFrame framework, adapted for disability and gender, and focusing on WASH and MHM.

How addressing menstrual health and hygiene may enable progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.

There is increasing global attention to the importance of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) for the lives of those who menstruate and gender equality. Yet, the global development community, which focuses on issues ranging from gender to climate change to health, is overdue to draw attention to how addressing MHH may enable progress in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To address this gap, we undertook a collective exercise to hypothesize the linkages between MHH and the 17 SDGs, and to identify how MHH contributes to priority outcome measures within key sectoral areas of relevance to menstruating girls in low- and middle-income countries.

Identifying Risk Factors for Lower Reproductive Tract Infections among Women Using Reusable Absorbents in Odisha, India.

A large proportion of women in Odisha, India, use reusable absorbents to manage their menstruation. Yet, the risk factors for lower reproductive tract infections (RTIs) related to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) have not been studied among reusable absorbent users. Women of reproductive age attending one of two hospitals from two different cities in Odisha during two separate study intervals were recruited for the study.

Qualitative study exploring the barriers to menstrual hygiene management faced by adolescents and young people with a disability, and their carers in the Kavrepalanchok district, Nepal.

Background: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is a recognised public health, social and educational issue, which must be achieved to allow the realisation of human rights. People with disabilities are likely to experience layers of discrimination when they are menstruating, but little evidence exists.

Methods: The study aims to investigate barriers to MHM that people with disabilities and their carers face in the Kavrepalanchok, Nepal, using qualitative methods.

Menstrual hygiene management practices and associated health outcomes among school-going adolescents in rural Gambia.

Inadequate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices have been associated with adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to describe MHM practices among schoolgirls from rural Gambia and assess risk factors associated with urogenital infections and depressive symptoms. A cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescent schoolgirls in thirteen schools in rural Gambia.

Evaluating the Efficacy of the Supertowel™ as a Handwashing Product: A Simulation of Real-World Use Conditions.

The Supertowel is a fabric treated with a permanent antimicrobial bonding and has been designed as a soap alternative in emergency situations. The Supertowel has been shown to be as efficacious as handwashing with soap and water when tested under controlled laboratory conditions. It has also been shown to be a practical, acceptable, and desirable product among crisis-affected populations.

Menstrual hygiene management in schools: midway progress update on the "MHM in Ten" 2014-2024 global agenda.

Progress has been made in recent years to bring attention to the challenges faced by school-aged girls around managing menstruation in educational settings that lack adequate physical environments and social support in low- and middle-income countries. To enable more synergistic and sustained progress on addressing menstruation-related needs while in school, an effort was undertaken in 2014 to map out a vision, priorities, and a ten-year agenda for transforming girls' experiences, referred to as Menstrual Hygiene Management in Ten (MHM in Ten). The overarching vision is that girls have the information, support, and enabling school environment for managing menstruation with dignity, safety and comfort by 2024.

Acceptability of menstrual products interventions for menstrual hygiene management among women and girls in Malawi.

Background: A key challenge for menstruating girls and women in low-resource countries is the inadequate and unreliable supply of menstrual products. Although development partners are implementing menstrual product interventions to address this challenge in Malawi, there is a paucity of information on the distribution of menstrual products and the acceptability of these interventions among users.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with girls (n = 20) and women (n = 26) and 4 focus group discussions (FGDs) with women (n = 35) and 7 FGDs with girls (n = 60) to explore the acceptability of menstrual products interventions in 8 districts.

Menstrual health intervention and school attendance in Uganda (MENISCUS-2): a pilot intervention study.

Objectives: Achieving good menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is a public health challenge and there is little evidence to inform interventions. The aim of this study was to pilot test an intervention to improve MHH and school attendance in Uganda, in preparation for a future cluster-randomised trial.

Design: Longitudinal study with pre-post evaluation of a pilot intervention.

Feasibility Study of a Menstrual Hygiene Management Intervention for People with Intellectual Impairments and Their Carers in Nepal.

The Bishesta campaign is a menstrual hygiene management (MHM) intervention developed to meet the specific needs of people with intellectual impairments and their carers. It was designed and delivered in the Kavre district, Nepal. This paper explores the campaign's feasibility and acceptability.

Interventions to improve disposal of child faeces for preventing diarrhoea and soil-transmitted helminth infection.

Background: Diarrhoea and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections represent a large disease burden worldwide, particularly in low-income countries. As the aetiological agents associated with diarrhoea and STHs are transmitted through faeces, the safe containment and management of human excreta has the potential to reduce exposure and disease. Child faeces may be an important source of exposure even among households with improved sanitation.