Awareness, Attitudes, and Menstrual Hygiene Practices Among In-School Secondary School Students in Ilorin West Local GovernmentArea, Kwara State

Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene management is an important public health issue affecting the health, education, and well-being of adolescent girls. This study addresses the lack of local data on MHM among secondary school students in Ilorin West, Kwara State, Nigeria.

Objective: To assess adolescents’ awareness and knowledge of menstruation, attitudes and perceptions toward menstruation, menstrual hygiene practices, and challenges faced in managing menstruation at school.

Methods: A school-based cross-sectional quantitative survey design was adopted, involving 400 female students selected through a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) version 26, employing descriptive statistics.

Results: The study found a high level of pre-menarcheal awareness (85.3%) and good knowledge of MHM (over 60%). However, negative attitudes, including shame and embarrassment, were widely reported. Disposable sanitary pads were the most common material (70%), but a majority (60.8%) reported changing materials infrequently (1 time per day). Crucially, significant school-based infrastructural deficits—including a lack of access to water and soap (36.5%), and clean toilet (31.7%)—were identified as major barriers which caused absenteeism (53.8%) among the female students. Consequently, over half of the respondents (53.8%) reported missing school during menstruation.

Conclusion: Although awareness of menstruation is relatively high, menstrual hygiene management among secondary school girls in Ilorin West is limited by stigma, negative attitudes, and poor school WASH facilities. Improving menstrual health education, access to affordable sanitary products, and gender-sensitive WASH infrastructure is essential.