The Relationship Between Women's Disaster Preparedness, Genital Hygiene Behaviors, and Menstrual Hygiene Measures

Disasters disrupt access to water, sanitation, privacy, and menstrual hygiene products, thereby increasing women's risk of genital and urinary tract infections and posing a threat to reproductive health. Despite the importance of disaster preparedness, limited evidence exists on the relationship between women's disaster preparedness, genital hygiene behaviors, and menstrual hygiene measures.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between women's disaster preparedness and menstrual hygiene practices in relation to general genital hygiene. It was a cross-sectional online study in Istanbul from April to July 2025. A total of 385 women participated, and data were collected using the Introductory Information Form, the Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale, and the Disaster Preparedness Scale.

Among the participants, 41.8% had experienced at least one natural disaster in the past. Most women had made no preparations for basic needs (77.7%) or had not made a disaster bag (78.2%). In terms of disaster preparedness, the proportion of those who kept a product specifically intended for menstrual hygiene was limited to 17.7%. The mean (SD) scores for the Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale and the Disaster Preparedness Scale score were 84.74 (6.9) and 30.63 (6.5), respectively. Correlation analysis indicated a low-level yet statistically significant positive association between Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale scores and Disaster Preparedness Scale scores (r = 0.162; P =  .001).

Most participants reported limited preparedness for menstrual hygiene within the disaster preparedness process despite the high educational attainment and favorable income status of the sample. Menstrual hygiene-related preparedness was higher among women with higher Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale scores.