On Menstrual Hygiene Management in Kobaya (Republic of Guinea): An Analysis of the Level of Knowledge among Adolescent Girls and Young Schoolgirls
Gouthon Gilchrist Fabrice
*
Laboratory for Socio-Anthropological Analysis of Guinea (LASAG), General Lansana Conté University of Sonfonia – Conakry (UGLC-SC), Republic of Guinea and Centre for Studies and Research in Education and Social Interventions for Development (CEREID), National Institute of Youth, Physical Education and Sport, University of Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin.
Houessou Frédéric
Laboratory for Socio-Anthropological Analysis of Guinea (LASAG), General Lansana Conté University of Sonfonia – Conakry (UGLC-SC), Republic of Guinea and Research Unit in the Sociology of Organisations, Management and Sports Engineering, National Institute of Youth, Physical Education and Sport, University of Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin.
Dioubaté Mohamed Lamine
Laboratory for Socio-Anthropological Analysis of Guinea (LASAG), General Lansana Conté University of Sonfonia – Conakry (UGLC-SC), Republic of Guinea.
Tonoukouin Florida
Centre for Studies and Research in Education and Social Interventions for Development (CEREID), National Institute of Youth, Physical Education and Sport, University of Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin.
Diop Moustapha
Laboratory for Socio-Anthropological Analysis of Guinea (LASAG), General Lansana Conté University of Sonfonia – Conakry (UGLC-SC), Republic of Guinea and Faculty of Social Sciences, General Lansana Conté University of Sonfonia – Conakry (UGLC-SC), Republic of Guinea.
Hounkonnou Lionel
Centre for Studies and Research in Education and Social Interventions for Development (CEREID), National Institute of Youth, Physical Education and Sport, University of Abomey-Calavi, Republic of Benin.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
It is essential to follow hygiene guidelines from the onset of menstruation in order to protect oneself from the risk of infection and cross-contamination, and to stay healthy. However, many girls in low- and middle-income countries, such as Guinea, enter puberty with gaps in their knowledge and misconceptions about menstruation. It is for this reason that this cross-sectional study aimed to assess the level of knowledge among adolescent and young female students in Kobaya, a district within the municipality of Conakry, regarding menstrual hygiene management and menstruation. A questionnaire was administered to 134 adolescent girls and young women aged between 13 and 22 using a random sampling technique. The results revealed that more than one-third (39.7%) of the respondents had a low level of knowledge concerning menstrual management. These findings suggest the need for regular and community-based capacity-building initiatives targeting adolescent and young female students on menstrual management. Such strategies would promote the adoption of appropriate menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls and young women.
Keywords: Behaviors, information, hygiene, menstruation, sexuality, Conakry