Effectiveness of the Combination of the Health Belief Model and Binara Leaf Decoction on Genital Hygiene Practices Among Adolescent Girls

Background: Appropriate genital hygiene is important for reproductive health among adolescent girls. Inappropriate practices may increase the risk of irritation, discomfort, pathological vaginal discharge, and reproductive health problems. The Health Belief Model (HBM) can strengthen perceptions of risk, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy, while Binara leaves (Artemisia vulgaris L.) have potential as a material. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of combining HBM with Binara leaf decoction on genital hygiene practices among adolescent girls compared with single interventions. Methods: This quasi-experimental study used a pre-test and post-test design involving three groups. A total of 112 adolescent girls at SMA RK Serdang Murni Lubuk Pakam were divided into a Binara leaf decoction group, an HBM education group, and a combined HBM plus Binara leaf decoction group. The decoction was administered as an external rinse for one month, while HBM education was provided according to group allocation. Data were collected using validated and reliable genital hygiene and HBM questionnaires. Analysis included normality testing, pre-test and post-test comparisons, and ANOVA to compare effectiveness among groups. Results: Mean genital hygiene scores increased from 58.2 to 72.5 (24.6%) in the decoction group, from 57.6 to 76.8 (33.4%) in the HBM group, and from 58.4 to 85.1 (45.7%) in the combined group. The greatest improvement was in the combined group. Conclusion: Combining HBM with Binara leaf decoction produced the greatest improvement in genital hygiene practices and may serve as a promotive approach based on wisdom for adolescent reproductive health.