AN INTERVENTION STUDY FOR MAINTAINING MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE BY THE ADOLESCENT GIRLS WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Abstract

Abstract

Menstruation is the monthly shedding of the uterine lining through the vaginal opening, occurring when fertilization does not happen. It typically begins between ages 9 to 16, with cycles lasting 21 to 35 days and consisting of four phases—bleeding, follicular, ovulation, and luteal. Awareness and timely education are crucial, yet only 36% of girls receive menstrual education before menarche (NFHS, 2020). According to UDISE+ (2022–23), only 61% of Indian schools have separate functional toilets for girls, with many lacking soap, water, or disposal facilities. Due to poor awareness, sanitation, financial barriers, and stigma, many girls face health issues, miss school, or drop out. As menstrual education gains momentum, it is important that this journey is inclusive and equitable, regardless of their abilities. Despite efforts to promote inclusivity in education and healthcare, the girls with hearing impairment often face unique barriers in managing their menstrual health and hygiene.

This study aimed to develop and implement a video-based intervention on menstrual health and hygiene and assess its impact on adolescent girls with hearing impairment. The objectives were: to find out the current menstrual health and hygiene practices and challenges faced among the adolescent girls with hearing impairment; to study the effectiveness of intervention by comparing the pre-test and post-test mean scores of experimental and control groups, to find out the effect of the intervention on post-test mean scores of the experimental group with respect to class, age, and mother’s educational level among adolescent girls with hearing impairment; and to assess the level of satisfaction on picture and video-based intervention among the experimental group of adolescent girls with hearing impairment. The findings revealed significant gaps in menstrual health knowledge before the intervention. Post-test results showed a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group (p < 0.001), confirming the intervention's effectiveness. No significant post-test differences were observed across class, age, or mother’s education, indicating that the intervention’s effects were uniformly distributed across demographic subgroups.