ArticlePloS one2023
The association between menstrual hygiene, workplace sanitation practices and self-reported urogenital symptoms in a cross-sectional survey of women working in Mukono District, Uganda.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Are pads the priority? Contested framings of the Brazilian National Policy on menstrual health and dignity.Women's studies international forum · 2026Article
- Menstrual practice needs scale for the workplace: validation and associations with well-being among adult women in Kathmandu, Nepal and Nairobi, Kenya.Frontiers in global women's health · 2026Article
- Full, free, and informed: defining and operationalising informed choice for menstrual supplies.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2025Article
- Heavy menstrual bleeding and association with menstruation-specific resources: A multinational cross-sectional study in low- and middle-income countries.Health & place · 2025Article
- Mapping the health outcomes of menstrual inequity: a comprehensive scoping review.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- Workplace menstrual product policies and worker well-being: Insights from Queensland, Australia.Dialogues in health · 2025Article
- Menstrual hygiene management among girls and women refugees in Africa: a scoping review.Conflict and health · 2025Review
- Sanitation-related withholding and suppression among women in urban Uganda and India.Nature water · 2025Article
- Experiences of menstrual health in the Nordic countries: a scoping review of qualitative research, applying an intersectional lens.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2024Article
- Review
- Article
- Post-Toilet Wiping Style Is Associated With the Risk of Urinary Tract Infection in Women.Cureus · 2024Article
- Spatial heterogeneity of menstrual discriminatory practices against Nepalese women: A population-based study using the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Associations between extreme weather events, resource insecurities, and HIV vulnerabilities with self-reported urinary tract infection symptoms among adolescent girls and young women in Kenya.The journal of climate change and healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWomen worldwide experience challenges managing their periods. Menstrual and genital hygiene behaviours have been linked to negative health outcomes, including urogenital symptoms and confirmed infections. However, evidence testing this association has been limited and mixed. This study aimed to (1) describe the menstrual care practices and prevalence of self-reported urogenital symptoms among working women in Mukono District, Uganda, and (2) test the associations between menstrual and genital care practices, and urogenital symptoms. METHODOLOGY: We undertook a cross-sectional survey of women aged 18-45 working in markets, schools, and healthcare facilities in Mukono District, with 499 participants who had menstruated in the past two months included in this analysis. We developed an aggregated measure of menstrual material cleanliness, incorporating material type and laundering practices. Associations with urogenital symptoms were tested using the aggregated material cleanliness measure alongside the frequency of changing materials, handwashing before menstrual tasks, and sanitation practices.
resultsAmong our sample, 41% experienced urogenital symptoms in the past month. Compared to women exclusively using disposable pads, using appropriately cleaned or non-reused improvised materials (PR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.04-1.71), or inadequately cleaned materials (improvised or commercially produced reusable pads) (PR = 1.84, 95%CI 1.46-3.42) was associated with an increased prevalence of self-reported urogenital symptoms in the last month. There was no difference between those using disposable pads and those using clean reusable pads (PR = 0.98; 95%CI 0.66-1.57). Infrequent handwashing before changing materials (PR 1.18, 95%CI: 0.96-1.47), and delaying urination at work (PR = 1.37, 95%CI: 1.08-1.73) were associated with an increased prevalence of self-reported symptoms.
conclusionPrevalence of self-reported urogenital symptoms was associated with the type and cleanliness of menstrual material used as well as infrequent handwashing and urinary restriction. There is a need for interventions to enable women to maintain cleanliness of their menstrual materials and meet their menstruation, urination and hand washing needs at home and work.
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