Periods Matter: Adolescent Girls' Menstrual Health Study

The United Nations define adolescents as persons aged between 10-19 years

for statistical purposes. Between puberty and maturity, adolescence is a phase of

transition and development. There is approximately 1198.7 million adolescent

worldwide (the United Nations' World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision,

June 2013) and as per census 2011, ―India comprises 253.2 million adolescents

constituting 20.9% of the total population of the country which estimates that every

fifth person in India is an adolescent‖. The number of Adolescents living in rural

areas was 180.7 million as per census 2011 accounting for 72% of the total adolescent

population of the nation. While ―Uttar Pradesh ranks first with the maximum number

of adolescents comprising 24.8% of the total population of the state‖, Uttarakhand,

the carved state of Uttar Pradesh (since 2000) on the other hand comprises a total of

23% of adolescents In rural areas of its total population (Census. 2011).

Adolescents learn from their peers' social behaviour and the environment in

which they live during this time. (Ramadass. et.al., 2017). It is also a span of their

growth extending from the immaturity of childhood to the physical and psychological

maturity of adulthood. (WHO,1989). Around the age of 10-13, girls begin to

experience physical growth spurts. They usually begin breast development in their

tenth year, genital growth in their eleventh year, and menstruation in their twelfth

year. For the next three years, the growing process continues, and all secondary

sexual traits emerge (Petterson & Hale, 1985). Sexual development often occurs in

three stages-pre-pubescence, pubescence and post-pubescence. Prepubescence is

characterised by increased bodily growth, particularly of the reproductive organs, as

well as the emergence of secondary sex traits, including menstruation.

Menstruation is a natural physical process that occurs as a by-product of a

biological event. It is the visible manifestation of periodic uterine bleeding sloughed

from the endometrium. In other words, It is the monthly bleeding of non-pregnant

women of childbearing age (Chawla, 1992). Although menstrual bleeding is a re