Menstrual hygiene in Ghana: Bridging the gap between knowledge and practice

For Poka Health App – the preferred period tracker and women’s health app for African Women, with funding from Standard Chartered Bank through the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre.

For many women and girls in Ghana, menstruation is still accom­panied by discomfort, stigma, and uncertainty. Although access to dis­posable sanitary pads has improved in recent years, issues like skin ir­ritation, leaks, and shame during menstruation remain common. But menstrual health isn’t just about managing bleeding—it affects women’s education, their person­al dignity, reproductive and sexual wellbeing and even safety. This arti­cle by Poka Health App, sheds light on the challenges and realities of menstrual hygiene in Ghana today.

A global and regional perspective

Recent studies from Asia, Eu­rope, and the Americas reveal sim­ilar themes: disposable pads domi­nate the marketplace, and women who lack reliable menstrual prod­ucts or safe disposal options face higher risks of infections, school absenteeism, and social stigma. In Europe and North America, con­cerns have emerged about chemical residues and rare but serious con­ditions like Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Within Africa, these challenges are especially pronounced. Land­mark trials in Kenya show that girls provided with menstrual cups or sanitary pads experienced fewer infections and lower rates of sex­ually transmitted infections (STIs) over time. In Ethiopia and Nigeria, where three-quarters of women lack consistent access to clean pads and private facilities, girls regular­ly miss classes or resort to trans­actional sex to afford menstrual products. South Africa has taken steps—distributing free pads in some schools—but shortages and stigma persist, particularly in rural townships.

And here in Ghana? According to a 2024 multi-country analysis of Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) data, 34.2 per cent of Ghanaian women still report unmet menstrual hygiene needs— significantly lower than Burkina Faso (74.8 per cent) or Ethiopia (69.9 per cent), but still a sizable portion. Swathes of rural girls, es­pecially outside Accra and Kumasi, lack the means or knowledge to manage their periods safely. A 2024 cross-sectional study of senior sec­ondary girls in the Eastern Region found that nearly all respondents used disposable pads, yet 43 per cent still practised poor hygiene.

Poka Health App

Survey: Listening to

Ghanaian women

In May and June 2025, Poka Health App, a period tracker and women’s health app designed for African women—surveyed several Ghanaian women, most aged 32– 38, held tertiary degrees, and lived in Greater Accra or abroad. Here are the key takeaways:

1. Disposable pads reign supreme

○ Almost all women still re­port disposable pads as their go-to product. Only a handful regularly use tampons or menstrual cups.

2. Why women stick with pads

○ Comfort

○ Affordability and Accessi­bility

○ Health Concerns

3. Health effects from overuse

○ Many respondents report­ed at least one negative experience while using pads or tampons, main­ly itching, skin irritation, and pain­ful rashes.

4. Seeking Medical Help—or Not

○ Only a small minority sought professional medical advice highlighting low menstrual health literacy, and lingering stigma around discussing period-related problems with doctors.

5. Alternatives Such As Menstrual Cups Remain Untried

6. Talking About Periods: A Mixed Picture

○ Poka Health App’s data show most women feel comfort­able discussing menstruation with other women but not with men.

○ Others noted that social media and peer-led platforms like the Poka Health App Community Group – We are Pokadolls– have eased sharing menstrual experienc­es.

7. Where did we learn about menstrual products?

○ Most women first encoun­tered formal menstrual education in junior high or senior high.

8. Voices from the Ground: Women’s suggestions

○ Start Early, Include Boys

○ Subsidise or Distribute Free Pads

○ Use Local Languages and Visual Aids

○ Leverage Faith and Com­munity Groups

○ Diversify Supply Chains

Connecting literature to

local realities

Poka Health App findings align closely with broader African re­search:

● Infection Risks & “Hid­den Costs”: Kenyan randomized trials (2016, 2023) showed that girls provided with clean menstrual cups had lower rates of bacterial vagino­sis and STIs. While Poka’s Ghana­ian data do not measure STI rates directly, many women described recurring urinary tract infections or persistent vaginal itching.

● School Absenteeism & Economic Pressures: Studies from Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Nigeria es­timate that up to 30% of girls miss school during their periods. Adult respondents to Poka’s survey fre­quently recalled skipping classes in their youth due to lack of pads.

● Stigma & Cultural Barri­ers: Across Africa, menstruation is often cloaked in taboo. A recent University of Ghana study (2024) found that 83 per cent of adoles­cent girls in rural communities en­gaged in transactional sex to afford pads. Poka’s survey confirms that menstrual shame still influences product choice and communica­tion, even among educated, urban professionals.

Ghana’s April 2025 rollout of free sanitary pads for schoolgirls aims to end many of these hard­ships. Early feedback suggests im­proved attendance in pilot regions; yet Poka’s respondents emphasized that policy alone is not enough; proper education on usage and hy­giene must be included.

Bridging the Gaps: Practical rec­ommendations

Several action points emerge for policymakers, NGOs, and commu­nity leaders:

1. Integrated Menstrual Health Curriculum

2. Community-Level “Men­strual Health Champions”

3. Sustainable Pad Distribu­tion + “Reviews”

4. Introduce Subsidized Re­usable Options

5. Menstrual Health in Pub­lic Campaigns

6. Male Engagement Initia­tives

7. Robust Monitoring & Re­search

Conclusion: Menstru­al Hygiene as a Human Right!

For Ghanaian women, the transi­tion to disposable pads has brought clear benefits. Yet, as both global lit­erature and Poka’s survey show, re­liance on a single product category has created new challenges—health complications from prolonged pad use, persistent stigma, and financial burdens.

Transforming menstrual health in Ghana demands a multi-pronged approach: education, affordable product diversity, community en­gagement, and ongoing research. By listening to women’s voices— through Poka’s app-based surveys and grassroots conversations—we can tailor interventions respect­ing cultural contexts and meet real needs. Thus, we affirm menstrual hygiene as not simply a women’s is­sue, but a matter of public health, gender equality, and human dignity.

After all, a Ghana where every girl and woman can manage her pe­riod safely, comfortably, and with­out shame is not just an ideal—it is a policy imperative. Let’s keep the conversation going, one pad (or cup) at a time.

Ready to take charge of your re­productive health? Download Poka Health App on the App Store or Google Play Store today— www. pokaapp.com.

The writer is a Medical Anthropologist

 BY DR ABENA K. KARIKARI