A rite of passage: a mixed methodology study about knowledge, perceptions and practices of menstrual hygiene management in rural Gambia

Table 4 Adolescent school girl’s knowledge about menstruation from cross-sectional study (All girls N = 331, Pre-menarche girls N = 128, Post-menarche girls, N = 203)

	All n [%]	Pre-menarche n [%]	Post-menarche n [%]	Test of significance*
Questions
Very old women menstruate	62 [18.7%]	39[30.5%]	23[11.3%]	p = 0.001
Menstruation is a disease	103 [31.1%]	45 [35.2%]	58 [28.6%]	p = 0.03
Pregnant women menstruate	63[19.0%]	49 [38.3%]	14 [6.9%]	p = 0.001
Menstrual blood comes from the stomach	25 [7.6%]	13 [10.2%]	12 [5.9%]	p = 0.19
Menstrual blood comes from the womb	155 [46.8%]	62 [48.4%]	93 [45.8%]	p = 0.7
Knowledge score
Poor [0–2]	163 [49.2%]	94 [73.4%]	69 [34.0%]	p = 0.001
Good [3,4,5]	168 [50.8%]	34 [26.6%]	134 [66.0%]

*chi square between girls that already have their period compared with girls without it

ISSN: 1471-2458