Changes in the Types of Menstrual Absorbent Usage in Middle-Class Urban Adolescent Girls Amid COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background:Menstruation is an indispensable event in a woman’s life. Menstrual Health Management (MHM) at any phase of life is obligatory to restrain any malady related to reproductive health. Pandemic or other emergency situations always undermine the necessity of healthy menstrual absorbent usage where food, health services, and other life-saving measures become more emergent. Though currently lacking, addressing any change in menstrual absorbent usage requires exploring experience of adolescent girls during the Covid-19 pandemic.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among urban middle-class adolescent girls. Having obtained consent from the participants &/or parents, a total of 281 adolescent girls from the Dhaka city (urban area of the District), aged 10-19 years, who had experienced menarche were included in the study. Data were collected over fifteen days from 1 September 2021 to 15 September 2021. Prior interview, the issue of menstruation was discussed with the respondents. The interview was done by female interviewers so that the interviewees answer freely about such private matters as menstruation thereby reducing the chance of bias during the interview with a structured questionnaire.Findings37.4% participants changed their menstrual absorbent type during the pandemic. There were significant relationships between changes in the usual pattern of menstrual absorbent usage with participants’ occupation (p=0·010), participants’ income (p=0·000), remission in participants’ income (p=0·002), and downfall in total family income (p=0·000) during the Covid-19 pandemic.InterpretationPersonal and family income played a vital role in preserving regular menstrual absorbent usage patterns. If income decreases the absorbent quality and quantity were altered to mitigate the problem in most cases.Funding: None.Declaration of Interest: NoneEthical Approval: MISSING