A STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE REGARDING USE OF MENSTRUAL CUPAMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS AT A SELECTED HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL IN PATHANAMTHITTA DISTRICT

Background: Adolescence period has been recognized as a turbulent period that signies the transition from girlhood to women hood and is considered a landmark of female puberty. Many girls and women face challenges with managing their periods safely, in addition to dealing with persisting taboos. A menstrual cup is a reusable non- toxic and non- allergic silicon device that can be used to capture menstrual uids. Aim& Objectives: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding use of menstrual cup among adolescent girls, to prepare and validate a structured teaching program for adolescent girls, to nd out the association between pre-test knowledge score and attitude score with selected demographic variables. Methodology: The research approach used for the study was quantitative approach and research design was descriptive research design with 70 samples selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Setting of the study was selected higher secondary school at Pathanamthitta district. Results: Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the study. The result showed that, 81% of adolescent girls had average knowledge and 19% had good knowledge. Additionally, 96% had a favorable attitude toward menstrual cups, while only 4% had an unfavorable attitude. Asignicant association was found between pre-test knowledge and attitude scores with selected demographic variables. Conclusion: The study concluded that, most of the adolescent girls had moderate knowledge and positive attitude towards the use of menstrual cup.