Table 3 Schoolgirls’ ratings of absorbent reliability compared between those using reusable pads and those using existing improvised methods
Reusable pad N = 72 | Existing improvised methods N = 111 | OR (95%CI) (Existing method OR = 1.00) | Existing improvised methods (disaggregated) | Sanitary pad N = 18 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Cloth N = 30 | Old Cloth N = 62 | Other N = 19 | |||||
%(N) | %(N) | %(N) | %(N) | %(N) | %(N) | ||
Do you feel you can rely on this absorbent to keep you from soiling when you have to… | |||||||
Walk a long distance | 75.7 (53) | 37.7 (40) | 5.14 (2.62–10.08) | 43.3 (13) | 37.1 (23) | 28.6 (4) | 88.9 (16) |
Be gone from home for a long time | 75.7 (53) | 40.6 (43) | 4.31 (2.23–8.35) | 40.0 (12) | 40.3 (25) | 42.9 (6) | 77.8 (14) |
Move quickly or strenuously | 73.6 (53) | 49.1 (52) | 2.90 (1.52–5.54) | 46.7 (14) | 46.8 (29) | 64.3 (9) | 72.2 (13) |
Sit for a long time | 68.1 (49) | 35.9 (38) | 3.81 (2.02–7.19) | 23.3 (7) | 38.7 (2) | 50.0 (7) | 77.8 (14) |
Be around males | 59.2 (42) | 28.6 (30) | 3.62 (1.92–6.83) | 27.6 (8) | 25.8 (16) | 42.9 (6) | 66.7 (12) |
Go to the farm | 88.6 (62) | 60.0 (63) | 5.17 (2.25–11.89) | 55.2 (16) | 61.3 (38) | 64.3 (9) | 100 (16) |
Go to school | 90.1 (64) | 53.8 (57) | 7.86 (3.30–18.74) | 60.0 (18) | 51.6 (32) | 50.0 (7) | 100 (17) |
Go to the market | 83.3 (60) | 43.4 (46) | 6.52 (3.15–13.52) | 46.7 (14) | 40.3 (25) | 50.0 (7) | 88.2 (15) |
How much of a problem is leaking when using this absorbent? (n = 174) | |||||||
Not a problem at all | 55.6 (40) | 14.71 (15) | 7.25 (3.53–14.87) | 4.6 (1) | 14.8 (9) | 38.5 (5) | 72.2 (13) |
A little bit of a problem | 34.7 (25) | 35.3 (36) | 1.00 | 64.3 (18) | 27.9 (17) | 7.7 (1) | 22.2 (4) |
A big problem | 9.7 (7) | 50.0 (51) | 32.1 (9) | 57.4 (35) | 53.9 (7) | 5.6 (1) | |
Do you often worry about odour? (n = 181) | |||||||
Never | 42.3 (30) | 40.0 (44) | 1.10 (0.60–2.01) | 40.0 (12) | 41.0 (25) | 36.8 (7) | 38.9 (7) |
Rarely/Sometimes | 19.7 (14) | 29.1 (32) | 1.00 | 23.3 (7) | 32.8 (20) | 26.3 (5) | 44.4 (8) |
Often/All the time | 38.0 (27) | 30.9 (34) | 36.7 (11) | 26.2 (16) | 36.8 (7) | 16.7 (3) | |
During your last menstrual period did you experience… (n = 140)a | |||||||
Fear of panty soiling | 60.0 (33) | 54.1 (46) | 1.27 (0.64–2.53) | 54.6 (12) | 53.2 (25) | 56.3 (9) | 61.5 (8) |
Odour | 29.1 (16) | 32.9 (28) | 0.84 (0.40–1.74) | 31.8 (7) | 38.3 (18) | 18.8 (3) | 23.1 (3) |
Outside garment soiling | 43.6 (24) | 43.5 (37) | 1.00 (0.51–1.99) | 45.5 (10) | 44.7 (21) | 37.5 (6) | 61.5 (8) |
Fear that sanitary protection would fall out of underwear | 47.3 (26) | 49.4 (42) | 0.92 (0.47–1.81) | 63.6 (14) | 46.8 (22) | 37.5 (6) | 23.1 (3) |