Assessment of Menstrual Hygiene Awareness and Practices among Women Living in Urban Slums of Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene remains a critical public health issue globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where limited access to sanitation, products, and education adversely affects women’s health, education, and well-being. Objectives: This study aimed to assess menstrual hygiene knowledge, practices, and socio-cultural beliefs among women residing in an urban slum of Sunder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh, India. It also examined methods of menstrual absorbent disposal and prevailing taboos affecting menstrual health management. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 5th June to 5th July in a slum area near Sunder Nagar Lake. Seventy-four women aged 15–45 years who had attained menarche were interviewed using a pre-tested, Hindi-translated questionnaire. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews by trained female interviewers and analyzed using descriptive statistics in R software. Results: The mean age of participants was 25.4 years, with 81.1% having low educational attainment. Most women (77%) used sanitary pads, and 97.2% reported washing genitalia with soap and water. While hygiene practices were generally good, 21.6% disposed of absorbents in open areas and 16.2% in water bodies. Cultural taboos remained prominent: 89.2% avoided religious places, and 60.8% believed women should be isolated during menstruation. Though 94.6% acknowledged the risk of infection from poor hygiene, 56.8% felt embarrassed discussing menstruation in front of male family members. Conclusion: Despite encouraging hygiene practices, substantial gaps remain in menstrual waste disposal and cultural perceptions. The persistence of restrictive socio-cultural norms and unsafe disposal methods highlights the need for integrated interventions that combine menstrual health education, accessible hygiene products, and safe disposal infrastructure tailored for urban slum settings.