Abstract

Background: Menstrual hygiene management remains a critical yet underexplored public health issue in Bangladesh, particularly regarding how different menstrual materials shape women’s needs and insecurities. This study examined differences in menstrual needs and insecurities between female university students in Bangladesh who use disposable and reusable menstrual products. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 625 female university students from five administrative divisions of Bangladesh between January and February 2024. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire of the Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS-36). Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Although overall menstrual needs scores did not differ significantly at the unadjusted level, multivariate analyses revealed that reusable menstrual material users experienced significantly poorer outcomes across several domains. The reusable material users reported significantly lower scores for material and home environment needs (β = −0.21, 95% CI: −0.34, −0.09; p = 0.001), transport and university environment needs (β = −0.18, 95% CI: −0.30 to −0.05; p = 0.006), reuse needs (β = −0.23, 95% CI: −0.39, −0.06; p = 0.007), and overall menstrual needs (β = −0.12, 95% CI: −0.20, −0.03; p = 0.010). However, no significant differences were observed for material reliability concerns, change and disposal, or reuse insecurity. Conclusion: Reusable menstrual material use was associated with poorer menstrual needs experiences in key environmental and practical domains among university women in Bangladesh. These findings highlight the need for context-specific interventions that address infrastructural barriers, ensure adequate facilities, and support safe and dignified use of reusable menstrual products.

Key words: Women’s health, Menstruation, Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), Disposable menstrual products, Bangladesh