In Muhuru Bay, Kenya, the $1 price of a package of sanitary pads is out of reach for many young girls, a simple fact that has a complex effect on their performance in school. This was the research topic of Duke Master of Science in Global Health (MSc-GH) student Amy Stopford who sought to better understand the links between menstruation, health and school performance among adolescent girls.

Stopford's MSc-GH thesis research, under the mentorship of DGHI faculty member Sherryl Broverman, evaluated the effect of commercial sanitary pad use on school attendance among Kenyan adolescent girls and the prevalence of any type of vaginal infection. There is little rigorous, pre-existing evidence to support the claim that girls were missing a significant amount of school due to menstruation and lack of sanitary pads.

In the study, girls reported they could miss between 3-7 days of school a month due to menstruation, but the research shows they actually only missed an average of one day per month. Stopford also found that use of sanitary pads is linked with missing more days of school, perhaps in part because girls are busy trying to obtain sanitary pads.

Stopford found that girls who used commercial sanitary pads were more likely to have pocket money and be sexually active. According to previous research done by former DGHI postdoctoral fellow Eve Puffer, it is common for girls to engage in transactional sex or seek out a boyfriend to help pay for pads or other items like school fees. If a girl becomes pregnant, it is likely she will drop out of school.  

By integrating leadership, health and faith, African community members are serving their communities as leaders and calling for change. In communities torn apart by violence, war and growing health disparities, the challenges are vast but a conference held in Uganda last week reminds us that progress is possible.  

The Duke Divinity School and its partners in East Africa organized the annual Great Lakes Initiative (GLI) Institute in Uganda last week.  The five-day conference, of which DGHI Associate in Research Caroline Hope Griffith attended, brings together Christian leaders from the African Great Lakes region working to promote peace and reconciliation in their communities. Hope Griffith works with DGHI, the Divinity School and Fuqua School of Business on projects that integrate health, business and faith to address health challenges in Africa.  

In her blog, Hope Griffith chronicles the inspirational event and shares some of the collaborative work under way at Duke which aims to promote peace and health in Africa.   

Blog 1: An Introduction  

Blog 2: African Women Defining What it Means to Lead   

Blog 3: A Powerful Tool to Improve Ugandan Health Care 

Blog 4: Improving Health Care in the Faith Community