High prevalence of gynaecological symptoms among Indian women: implications for integrated menstrual and reproductive health

Garikipati, Supriya, Babbar, Karan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6638-6573 and Mahajan, Tanya (2025) High prevalence of gynaecological symptoms among Indian women: implications for integrated menstrual and reproductive health. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 15 (6). pp. 502-506. IWA Publishing . ISSN 2043-9083 Available at: https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2025.288

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Abstract

This short communication reports on the unexpectedly high prevalence of symptoms consistent with reproductive tract infections and sexually transmitted infections among urban, mid-to-high-income Indian women participating in a study on menstrual cup acceptability. As part of the screening process, data on gynecological symptoms were collected via Google Forms, adhering to the World Health Organization (WHO) Syndromic Case Management Protocol. The exclusion criteria were based on this protocol, supplemented by expert recommendations and ethical review considerations. Given the online recruitment process, comprehensive exclusion data was available, allowing for a detailed assessment of symptom prevalence prior to exclusion. Analysis revealed that of the 41.5% of the 164 respondents who registered for participation report at least one symptom consistent with the WHO protocol. This high prevalence, observed in a demographic often assumed to have better access to healthcare, highlights significant gaps in awareness, screening, and care-seeking behaviors. The findings underscore the need for more integrated approaches to menstrual health (MH) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH), leveraging MH interventions as entry points for proactive screening, improved health education and enhanced access to SRH services.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: gynaecological symptoms | India | menstrual cups| menstrual health | reproductive tract infections | sexual and reproductive health | sexually transmitted infections
Subjects: Physical, Life and Health Sciences > Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Social Sciences and humanities > Social Sciences > Social Sciences (General)
Divisions: Jindal Global Business School
Vol/Issue no. published date: June 2025
Depositing User: Users 44 not found.
Date Deposited: 22 May 2025 08:28
Last Modified: 17 Sep 2026 09:52
Official URL: https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2025.288
URI: https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/9556

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