Abstract:

Background: Menstrualdisorders frequently affect the quality of life of adolescents and yong adult women and can be an indicator of serious underlying problems.Every day, girls around the world get their menstrual periods for the first time, and many of them lack adequate information, guidance and support about what is happening to their bodies. Studies have been conducted in Tanzania regarding menstrual hygiene and different hygiene programs have been implemented in various regions. However; information about menstruation problems and their impacts among Tanzania adolescents is limited and largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims at gathering information regarding the level of awareness of menstrual problems by young adolescents and their treatment seeking behavior.

Objective: To assess the level of awareness of problems associated with menstruation among secondary school female adolescents and their treatment seeking behavior.

Methodology :This was a Cross-sectional prospective study which was conducted in among 255 adolescent girls attending some secondary schools in Ilemela and Nyamagana districts in Mwanza region.It included all girls who have attained menarche attending these schools.Data was collected using questionnaires and data entry was done in excel and analysis was done using SPSS.

Implication : The results of this study have several impacts on girls who have attained menarche as it will rise their awareness on the menstrual cycle and disorders associated with menstruation so as to take appropriate measures.

Results: 255 students from form one to form six with their ages ranging from 12 to 20 years weere interviewed. In these students, the mean age of attaining menarche was 13 years.Majority had their knowledge about menstrual disorders from their mothers and the lowest percent from teachers,medias, friends and their relatives.
Various menstrual disorders were known to these students ranging from dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, oligomenorrhea to polymenorrhea and majority(52%) of them reported to encounter dysmenorrhea.Most of those who seek consultation reported that severity of the disese was the factor for it and those who did not, reported to be shy and lack of youth friendly clinic.

Conclusion: There was a good proportion of those who had knowledge on menstrual problems but significant number of those with menstrual prblems did not get consultation. Therefore there is a need to improve the services given by health providers on health education including menstrual disorders and to emphasize youth friendly clinics.