Unveiling disparities: a non-linear decomposition analysis of the gap in menstrual hygiene material use between adolescent women in Aspirational and the remaining districts of India.

This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to the gap in the use of hygienic materials during menstruation to collect blood among adolescent women between Aspirational and the remaining districts of India. The study sample consisted of 114805 adolescent women (20835 women from 112 Aspirational districts and 93970 women from 595 remaining districts) from the National Family Health Survey-5. Fairlie decomposition was used to identify and measure the factors contributing to the gap in the use of hygienic materials between Aspirational and the remaining districts of India. This study determined that the use of hygienic materials during menstruation varied significantly between Aspirational and the remaining districts. While only 37% of adolescent women used hygienic materials in Aspirational districts, almost 52% did so in the remaining districts. Seventy-five per cent of Aspirational districts (84 of 112 districts) reported less than 50% use of hygienic materials, which is lower than the national average and the average of the remaining districts. It was revealed that nearly 90% of the total explained gap between the two groups was accounted for by household wealth, place of residence, exposure to mass media, and education level. Wealth was the main contributor to the gap, explaining about 46% of the difference in hygienic materials use between Aspirational and the remaining districts, followed by the place of residence (18%), exposure to mass media (15%), and education level (11%). Findings suggest that targeted interventions to improve access to hygienic materials among adolescent women in Aspirational districts, particularly those in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh, are necessary. Policy efforts should focus on women from poor households, improving access to education, and expanding mass media exposure in Aspirational districts to reduce the gap in menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent women in India.

Prognosis and sequelae of meth(acrylate) sensitization in beauticians and consumers of manicure materials.

BACKGROUND: Allergic contact dermatitis from (meth)acrylic monomers (ACDMA) in manicure products is increasing. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognosis, work performance impairment and sequelae of a cohort of beauticians and manicure consumers with ACDMA sensitized from the exposure to manicure products. METHODS: We conducted a telephone survey with patients diagnosed with ACDMA. RESULTS: One hundred and six patients were evaluated, including 75 (70.8%) beauticians and 31 (29.2%) consumers. All were women with a mean age of 39 (19-62). Thirty-seven of 75 beauticians (49.3%) continued to work. Twenty-seven of 106 (25.5%) patients continued to use manicure products with (meth)acrylates regularly. Seventeen of 51 (33.3%) patients who discontinued the exposure described ongoing nail/periungual changes. Nine of 58 (15.5%) patients who required dental restoration, orthodontic or occlusal splint materials recalled reactions from them; and, 25 of 96 (26%) who used sanitary napkins recalled intolerance to them starting after the diagnosis of ACDMA. Fifteen of 25 (60%) discontinued the use of sanitary napkins. CONCLUSION: 49.3% beauticians continued to work; most patients stopped wearing acrylic manicure materials; reactions from dental materials were not uncommon, however, removal of dental materials was never required; and, reactions to sanitary napkins developing after the diagnosis of ACDMA were common most leading to discontinuation of use.

Reusable sanitary napkins-time to revisit.

BACKGROUND: To assess knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of women regarding menstrual hygiene and to evaluate the use of reusable sanitary napkins as an alternative to disposable sanitary napkins. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was done in two phases. In the first phase, 50 married women attending Gynecology OPD were asked to use reusable sanitary napkins for 2 months. A pre- and post-usage vaginal swab testing was done to rule out genital infection. This study was extended in the second phase to another 534 women after confirming that reusable sanitary napkins do not cause genital infection and are acceptable. KAP analysis regarding menstrual hygiene was done for all women. RESULTS: In phase 1 of the study, the microbiological evaluation revealed no pathological organisms on vaginal swab culture after 2 months of usage. KAP analysis of 584 women revealed that only 26% women had awareness about menstruation before attaining menarche; in 51.88%, the primary source of information was their mother; 76.54% women in the study used disposable sanitary pads of which 15% were disposing of them unhygienically; 80.49% women found the reusable napkins comfortable and easy to use and 83.6% women confirmed recommending these napkins to others. CONCLUSION: Reusable sanitary pads are an effective, environment friendly, and cost-effective alternative to disposable napkins.

Menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent women in rural India: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Exclusive use of hygienic methods (sanitary napkins, locally prepared napkins, tampons, and menstrual cups) to prevent the visibility of bloodstains during menstruation is still considerably low among adolescent women in rural India. However, no prior research has explored the prevalence and determinants of exclusive hygienic methods among rural Indian adolescent women. To address this gap, this study examines the factors affecting adolescent women's exclusive use of hygienic methods in rural India. Additionally, this study explores state- and district-level geographical disparities in the exclusive use of hygienic methods among adolescent women in rural India. METHODS: Information on 95,551 adolescent women from rural India from the latest round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) was analyzed. Bivariate statistics and multilevel logistic regression analysis were used to assess the Individual- and community-level factors associated with exclusive use of hygienic methods among adolescent women in rural India. Choropleth maps were used to discern the geographical disparities in the exclusive use of hygienic methods. RESULTS: In rural India, only 42% of adolescent women exclusively used hygienic methods, with substantial geographic disparities at the state and district levels. At the state level, the exclusive use of hygienic methods varied from 23% in Uttar Pradesh to 85% in Tamil Nadu. Even greater variation was observed at the district level. There was a clear north-south divide in the exclusive use of hygienic methods among adolescent women in rural India. The results of multilevel logistic regression indicated a considerable amount of variation in the exclusive use of hygienic methods at community level which further reduced when controlled for individual and community-level factors. Rural Indian adolescent women with higher education (AOR:3.20, 95% CI: 2.81-3.64), from general category (AOR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07-1.21), with medium mass media exposure (AOR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.35-1.51), and from richest wealth quintile (AOR: 3.98, 95% CI: 3.69-4.30) were more likely to use hygienic methods exclusively. CONCLUSION: Wide differential across biodemographic and socioeconomic groups, and substantial geographic disparities at state- and district-level in the exclusive use of hygienic methods suggests a need to adopt context-specific interventions for adolescent women in rural India. Distribution of subsidized or free menstrual hygiene methods to disadvantaged adolescent women, and in the low-prevalence districts may increase the level of exclusive use of hygienic methods remarkably.

Knowledge, Attitude, Perception and Practices towards Disposal of Sanitary Napkins among Young Females: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Almost 70% of women residing in urban areas and 48% of women in rural areas use sanitary napkins in India. According to menstrual health alliance India (MHAI), single sanitary pad will take about 500-800 years to decompose as the plastic used in manufacturing is nonbiodegradable and causes severe noxious effects contributing to global warming through the production of planet warming fuels which eventually have severe impact on environment sustainability. Hence, the study was undertaken to contribute the evidence for the "Clean and Green India". Aim: To know the perception and practice of disposal of sanitary napkins among young college-going females in India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted throughout the country employing a self-administered questionnaire using a survey link sent through social media. Data collected were analyzed and interpreted using SPSS version 20.0. Result: The study population comprised 484 young college girls with a mean age of 20.92 ± 1.86 years and 96.9% of them are using sanitary napkins as menstrual absorbent aids. The most common method employed for the disposal of sanitary napkins was dumping them in the bin (87.4%). About 63.2% of them had no knowledge about sanitary napkin-burning machines. Around 92% think that improper disposal of sanitary napkins can cause health problems. Conclusion: The findings from the study revealed that a significant number of women were practicing noneco-friendly disposal methods and menstrual hygiene aids which are a bane to the ecosystem. Study warrants the education and training of females to achieve a green and clean sustainable India.

Reducing the bioburden on organic sanitary napkins and attempt to solve the sterility issue.

Sanitary napkins are technical textile products that women use to hygienically collect menstrual fluids when they are menstruating. Because sanitary napkins must simultaneously fulfil a number of end-use requirements, they have layered constructions. Through the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Surat, India, this study explores the eco-friendly (organic material) sanitary napkin production facility in the village of Bhatlai in the Gujarat province of India and identifies an issue. With eco-friendly organic sanitary products, bioburdens are a big problem. The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan accepts recommendations and improvements relating to sterility in a sanitary manufacturing unit after bioburden testing is conducted using various approaches outlined by Sanitary Napkins - Specification (IS 5405:2019). This study seeks to develop sanitary napkins that are sterilized and have no bioburden to replace SAPs (super absorbent polymer) with an ecologically friendly biopolymer that provides competent performance and characteristics to rural women of India living near or below poverty line.

Awareness and practices of menstrual hygiene among females of reproductive age in rural Puducherry - a mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: Menstruation is a physiological process. Unfortunately, there is substantial lacuna in knowledge related to menstrual hygiene among females. OBJECTIVES: To assess the awareness and prevailing practices of menstrual hygiene, prevalence of symptoms related to genito-urinary tract infection, and the factors influencing menstrual hygiene practices, among women of reproductive age in rural Puducherry. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted in March 2017 in rural Puducherry adopting a mixed-methods approach. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used for a quantitative survey among 357 women of reproductive age. Qualitative data was collected through focused group discussions (FGDs). RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 28.25 + 9.25 years. Thirty-three percent of the respondents had menstrual knowledge prior to menarche. A total of 90.8% were aware that menstruation is a physiological process. The majority of respondents 94.1%, used sanitary napkins as absorbents during menstruation and 60.7% of them changed it 3 times a day. Regarding the method of disposal, 47.6% participants threw it into the routine waste and 43.8% burnt it after use. Among 8.9% of cloth users 62.5% used a new cloth for each cycle and 37.5% of respondents washed and reused the cloth. Satisfactory cleaning of external genitalia was practised by 62.2%. Only 11.2% respondents had symptoms related to genito-urinary tract infection. From FGDs it was observed that the several socio-cultural factors and taboos restrict them from practising safe menstrual hygiene practices. CONCLUSION: Our study has revealed that most of the females are still unaware of menstrual hygienic practices which suggest the need for appropriate health intervention measures to be implemented for their well-being.

An Optimized Centrifugal Method for Separation of Semen from Superabsorbent Polymers for Forensic Analysis.

Connection of a perpetrator to a sexual assault is best performed through the confirmed presence of semen, thereby proving sexual contact. Evidentiary items can include sanitary napkins or diapers containing superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), complicating spermatozoa visualization and DNA analysis. In this report, we evaluated the impact of SAPS on the current forensic DNA workflow, developing an efficient centrifugal protocol for separating spermatozoa from SAP material. The optimized filtration method was compared to common practices of excising the top layer only, resulting in significantly higher sperm yields when a core sample of the substrate was taken. Direct isolation of the SAP-containing materials without filtering resulted in 20% sample failure; additionally, SAP material was observed in the final eluted DNA samples, causing physical interference. Thus, use of the described centrifugal-filtering method is a simple preliminary step that improves spermatozoa visualization and enables more consistent DNA yields, while also avoiding SAP interference.