ABSTRACT
Background: Research on menstrual hygiene management practices (MHMP) has yet to be conducted among adolescent girls in Bangladesh who have gained services from the Urban Primary Health Care Project (UPHCP). This study aimed to assess the effects of behavioural change communication activities on MHMP among urban school adolescent girls. Methods: A convenience sample of 270 adolescent girls (aged 10-19) who had no chronic diseases from 5 schools in Dhaka city was selected using a descriptive cross-sectional design from February to May 2018. A semistructured (interviewer-administered) questionnaire was used. Frequencies were calculated for descriptive analysis. Results: About 17% of girls had irregular menstrual cycles, 57% felt uneasy and 27% had >7 days of menstrual flow. Fifty-five per cent of the girls used sanitary napkins. Most (95%) and 26% of the girls did not change their pads during school and at night, respectively. Sixty-five per cent of girls disposed of the used pads at the public dustbin, and 83% bathed during menstrual. Only 4% of girls were aware of the iron folic acid tablets. Conclusions: Despite the availability of services from UPHCP, the acceptance and adherence to MHMP among adolescent girls still need to be improved.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To report HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence and sexual behaviour of long-distance truckers on four national highway routes from a large, cross-sectional, national-level trucker survey in India. METHODS: Seven trans-shipment locations covering the bulk of India's transport volume along four routes, north-west (NW), north-south (NS), north-east (NE) and south-east (SE) were identified as survey sites. A total of 2066 long-distance truckers were selected using a two-stage, time-location cluster sampling approach and, after consent, interviewed about their sexual behaviour. Urine and blood sample were tested for selected STIs. RESULTS: Overall, HIV prevalence among truckers was found to be 4.6%, with prevalence highest on the SE route (6.8%) and lowest on the NS (2.4%). Positive HSV-2 serology, which was tested in a 10% subsample, was low along three routes, 10.0%, 12.8% and 6.7% for the NE, NS and NW, respectively, but 38.7% in the SE. The truckers from the SE were found to be more likely to have sex with paid partners than the NE route. Moreover, truckers who owned their trucks were more likely than those who did not use condoms consistently with paid partners, and truckers who drive trucks owned by their relatives/friends are more likely than others to have any STI. CONCLUSIONS: Low self-risk perception for HIV (9.9%), low consistent condom use with non-paid partners (18.6%) and wives (3%), low reported exposure to any interventions (25.6%) and low levels of ever having taken an HIV test (16.5%) make truckers an important bridge population requiring strengthened interventions.