Assessment of students’ and teachers’ understanding of menstrual cycle in Navakholo Sub-county, Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Notably, it‟s very rare for Men and women to freely talk about menstrual cycle and maturation of the girl child. Cultural practices, taboos and myths linked to menstruation undermine discussions about menstruation which conversely leads to several conceptions and misconceptions about menstrual cycle and its processes leading to increase in teenage pregnancy. The aim of the study was to establish students‟ and teachers‟ understanding of menstrual cycle in Navakholo sub-county, Kakamega County. A case study design with a mixed-method research method was used combining quantitative and qualitative methods in two secondary schools in Navakholo sub-County, Kakamega County. The quantitative study was conducted among 103 students and teachers among them 82 students between 13 and 19 years and 21 teachers above 24 years of both genders by use of a multiple choice questionnaire. Six focus group discussions among school girls, boys and teachers of both genders and four Key Informant interviews were conducted in October, 2017. The results of the findings indicated that 61 (74.4%) students and 11 (52.8%) teachers had full comprehensive basic understanding while 21 (25.6%) students and 8 (38.1) teaches had full comprehensive intermediate understanding. Only 1 (4.8) teacher had full comprehensive understanding while none of the students had full comprehensive understanding of menstrual cycle. There were three levels of understanding that is basic, Intermediate and comprehensive understanding. As the understanding graduated from basic through intermediate to full comprehensive understanding, the few the number of respondents both for teachers and students who were achieving higher level of understanding. full comprehensive understanding of the concept of menstrual cycle was not achieve because only one teacher demonstrated full comprehensive understanding with none of the students achieving it. Key word Menstrual cycle, Students, teachers, understanding menstrual cycle knowledge