Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: April | Volume: 8 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 185-191
Menstrual Cycle and the Misconceptions Associated with It among Young Women in Delhi-NCR, India
Meena Yadav
Department of Zoology, Maitreyi College, New Delhi, India - 110 021
ABSTRACT
Background: Girls and women in rural areas are not aware about the process of menstruation and hence are guided by several taboos associated with it. However, the data on menstruation and proscriptions associated with it in urban areas is lacking.
Objectives: The study was an attempt to find some parameters of menstrual health and proscriptions associated with menstruation in young women of Delhi-NCR, India.
Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study and the data was collected by purposive sampling. The respondents included 974 girls/women who were unmarried, 18-24 years age and who were pursuing various courses in various colleges/universities of Delhi-NCR. An informed written consent was taken from each respondent.
Results: The results showed that the majority of women (77.62%) have regular menstrual cycles, with most of their cycle duration being 4-6 days (50.72%). A significant number of families of girls asked them to follow restrictions on religious matters (57.39%) while a significant number did not impose restrictions on food (53.18%). However, a significant larger group of girls themselves do not believe in such restrictions (70.53%) and consider menstruation as a normal physiological process (83.86%) and by themselves did not want to follow the restrictions in their life due to menstruation (70.53%).
Conclusion: The urban girls are more aware about menstruations and irrespective of faith, do not want themselves to be isolated, from family or society, due to menstruation. They know the significance of the process and are more aware of their right of good menstrual health.
Key words: Menstruation; Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM); proscriptions; religious restrictions