Factors Influencing the Choice of Menstrual Products among Adolescent Girls.

For many girls their first period experience is a moment they will never forget.

For some their first period came with excitement, confusion, fear, embarrassment, or a mixture of all four.

An adolescent girl who begins her menstruation with little or no knowledge of menstrual products usually asks questions like What do I use? How do I use it? Will it leak? Can I afford it? What will people say? Will it show on my dress? Is it comfortable when I use it?

These questions may seem simple, but they can significantly influence the menstrual products a girl chooses and whether she can manage her period safely and comfortably.

Menstrual products are not simply items girls pick from a shelf. Their choices are shaped by their families, income, culture, school environment, availability, personal experiences, comfort, knowledge, and even the opinions of friends.

When we talk about menstrual products in Nigeria our minds often imagine a simple decision which is the regular sanitary pads. Telling an adolescent girl to use reusable pads,tampons, menstrual cups, menstrual disc or period pants maybe complicated or sound strange to her because these products are not available in her environment because older girls and women don't use it.

Their choices are not necessarily about preference alone.

They are often about what is available, affordable, acceptable, comfortable, and practical within their everyday lives and environment.

1. Knowledge and Menstrual health Awareness.

An adolescent girl's knowledge about menstruation and menstrual products can significantly influence what she uses.

If she has only ever heard about disposable pads as a menstrual product not knowing that other options like Reusable pads,menstrual pants,menstrual cup/disc and tampons exist she will only stick to the disposable pads and If she hears inaccurate information about menstrual cups or reusable products, she may avoid them even when they could be suitable for her.

Photo Credit: Pad-Up Creations Reusable Pads.

This is why menstrual health education should not simply teach girls that menstruation is normal.

It should also provide accurate and practical information about menstrual products and how to care for them.

Pad-Up Creations Period pants.

Adolescent girls need to understand:

The different menstrual products available and how they are used.

How often they should be changed.

How reusable pads and menstrual pants should be washed and stored.

How to identify products they are comfortable using.

Where to seek help when they have questions.

When girls are empowered with the right information they make informed choices.

2. Cost Effectiveness.

One of the biggest factors influencing menstrual product choices is affordability.Many families are already struggling to meet basic needs such as food, transportation, school fees, and healthcare costs affording menstrual products can become another financial burden especially when it is not a priority.

Disposable pads may be the most familiar option, but purchasing them every month requires continuous spending. Due to limited income some girls may reduce the number of products they are supposed to use meaning that they will use one sanitary pads more than the required hours which is 4 hours, some may resort to using unhealthy alternatives like tissue, unclean rags or cotton wool.

Affordability can determine whether a girl has choices at all.

3. Availability and Accessibility.

Some girls may want to explore other options but some of these products are not readily available in top shops,supermarkets and chemists within their community especially in underserved and rural areas.

The nearest shop may only have one particular brand of sanitary pad.

Other menstrual products may be available in larger towns but are difficult to find locally.

4. Comfort and Personal Experience.

Every girl experiences menstruation differently.

Some girls prefer products that feel lightweight. Others prioritize absorbency. Some may prefer products that allow them to participate in sports and physical activities without worrying about leakages or stains.

Comfort can therefore become a major factor in product selection.

A girl may try a particular product and discover that it causes unusual irritation, feels uncomfortable, the wings are not long enough, or does not provide the protection she needs. She may then switch to another product or pad brand.

Personal experience and comfort while using sanitary pads or other menstrual products is not something that should be dismissed or assumed.

5. Influence of Family and Environment.

For many girls, their first source of information about menstruation or their body is the mother, older sister, aunt, grandmother, or another trusted caregiver.

Family members can therefore strongly influence menstrual product choices.

A mother who has always used disposable pads may naturally recommend them to her daughter. Another caregiver may introduce a girl to reusable options because that is what she has used all along.

The girl may adopt their choices in some cases.

In some communities, menstruation may be surrounded by restrictions, taboos, or beliefs about what girls can or cannot do while menstruating.

These beliefs can influence product choices. For example, a girl may avoid a particular product because she has been told it is inappropriate for unmarried girls in order to preserve virginity and unsafe. for some it could be due to the lack of privacy and sanitation facilities both at home and in school, this makes her avoid reusable pads and menstrual pants.

6. Trusted for a Particular Product.

In most cases once a girl has experienced a menstrual product that works well for her, she may develop trust for that product or brand, she will want to recommend it to her friends too.

If she has a poor experience such as leakage, discomfort, irritation, heaviness or difficulty using the product, these experiences can lead her to switch.

Conclusion.

Girls need accurate information on menstrual health and safe spaces where they can ask questions about their bodies without the fear of being judged.

Girls need access to water and sanitation.

They also need to know that menstruation is nothing to be ashamed.

The next time we ask “What menstrual product do girls prefer?” we should also ask a bigger question which is “What influences the choices available to them and what can we do to make those choices safer, more affordable and accessible.

Let's create a future where periods don't have to stop a girl from achieving her dreams.