The Relationship Between Women's Disaster Preparedness, Genital Hygiene Behaviors, and Menstrual Hygiene Measures

INTRODUCTION: Disasters disrupt access to water, sanitation, privacy, and menstrual hygiene products, thereby increasing women's risk of genital and urinary tract infections and posing a threat to reproductive health. Despite the importance of disaster preparedness, limited evidence exists on the relationship between women's disaster preparedness, genital hygiene behaviors, and menstrual hygiene measures. METHODS: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between women's disaster preparedness and menstrual hygiene practices in relation to general genital hygiene. It was a cross-sectional online study in Istanbul from April to July 2025. A total of 385 women participated, and data were collected using the Introductory Information Form, the Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale, and the Disaster Preparedness Scale. RESULTS: Among the participants, 41.8% had experienced at least one natural disaster in the past. Most women had made no preparations for basic needs (77.7%) or had not made a disaster bag (78.2%). In terms of disaster preparedness, the proportion of those who kept a product specifically intended for menstrual hygiene was limited to 17.7%. The mean (SD) scores for the Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale and the Disaster Preparedness Scale score were 84.74 (6.9) and 30.63 (6.5), respectively. Correlation analysis indicated a low-level yet statistically significant positive association between Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale scores and Disaster Preparedness Scale scores (r = 0.162; P = .001). DISCUSSION: Most participants reported limited preparedness for menstrual hygiene within the disaster preparedness process despite the high educational attainment and favorable income status of the sample. Menstrual hygiene-related preparedness was higher among women with higher Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale scores.