Assessment of Students’ Understanding of Menstrual Cycle in Navakholo Sub-County, Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Cultural practices and myths around menstruation undermine the scientific conception of this aspect concept among learners in Africa. Distorted understanding of menstrual cycle hinders the development of the appropriate life-skills with regard to human sexuality, as evidenced by the prevalence of teenage pregnancy among Kenyan youths. This paper assesses students’ understanding of menstrual cycle in Navakholo sub-county, Kakamega County, Kenya. A case study design was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 82 students aged between 13 and 19 years in two secondary schools. Questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews Guides were used to collect data. The findings indicated that majority of the students (74.4%) had basic understanding while 21 (25.6%) students achieved intermediate understanding. None of the students achieved full comprehensive understanding of menstrual cycle. Their understanding was distorted by cultural knowledge about menstruation.