Author(s): Dr. Sarika Manhas, Sabiya Asmat

Abstract:
Women’s attitudes toward menstruation are very complicated. Often, women’s attitudes predict menstrual events to be worse than they actually are once the event is experienced (Koff & Rierdan, 1996). These negative attitudes may be due, in part, to society’s messages about menstruation. Attitudes toward menstruation also stem from education that women have received on the topic; more education is associated with more positive views of menstruation (Brooks-Gunn & Ruble, 1982; Golub & Catalano, 1983). In view of the importance of attitudes towards menstruation, the present study was undertaken in Kargil District with an aim to assess the attitude of female adolescents, mothers and grandmothers towards menstruation. The sample for the study consisted of 320 adolescents girls in the age group of 14 to 18 years studying in class 9th to 12th currently enrolled at Govt Middle, High and High Secondary schools, 100 mothers and 100 grandmothers, which were selected equally from Purig tribe and Balti tribe of Kargil district, J&K state. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the sample females. A standardized scale on Adolescent Menstruation Attitude Questionnaire (AMAQ) developed by Morse, Kieren and Bottorff in 1993 was used to assess their attitude. The scale includes 58 items involving six subscale; Positive feelings; Negative feelings; Living with menstruation; Openness about menstruation; Acceptance of menarche; and Menstrual symptoms. rnThe results of the study reveal that majority of the respondents held highly negative attitude towards menstruation these females were not happy and excited during menstruation nor were they pleased, proud or felt special while having their periods. Majority of females across the three generations held moderately positive to highly negative attitude towards this phenomenon. Most respondents had negative attitude on two other dimensions namely, living with menstruation and acceptance of menarche. Even though this is an important physiological process, yet the results highlights that females had problems in accepting and living with it. There moderately positive to negative attitude towards openness about menstruation and also towards menstrual symptoms, this highlight that even today there is a culture of silence associated with it and also find it inconvenient to discuss and accept menstrual symptoms. It was also found that across the three generation, younger females (adolescent girls) showed more negativism than the mothers and grandmothers. However comparatively older generation showed more acceptances, less negativism and were more openness towards menstruation then the younger generation.