Socio-Economic Disparities in Menstrual Hygiene Practices among Scheduled Tribes and Non- Scheduled Tribes Adolescent: Evidence from India

Channabasappa Noolvi, Yes
Nutan Kumari, Population Research Centre, Dharwad
Jyoti S. Hallad, Population Research Centre, Dharwad, India

Background: Globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, menstrual hygiene continues to be a neglected issue, often influenced by socio-cultural taboos, particularly in India. Significant geographical disparities in menstrual hygiene practices exist between tribal and non-tribal populations in India. Data: The study uses data from the Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted between 2019 and 2021. Results: The study highlights geographical disparities in menstrual hygiene practices between tribal and non-tribal women’s. Sanitary napkins are the most commonly used method, with 53.0% of tribal and 64.45% of non-tribal women using them. Locally prepared sanitary napkins are used by 11.57% of tribal and 11.63% of non-tribal women’s. A significant difference is observed in the use of cloth, with 32.70% of tribal women relying on this method compared to 21.22% of non-tribal women. The study also emphasizes variations in menstrual hygiene practices across age, religion, place of residence, education, and wealth status for both tribal and non-tribal groups. Conclusion: Policies should focus on raising awareness about menstrual protection through dialogue and discussions at various levels, from schools to communities and mass media campaigns. The government should prioritize menstrual hygiene management (MHM) and allocate a budget for the free distribution of sanitary pads.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Social network methods, Economic Demography, Children, Adolescents, and Youth

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