Chhaupadi: A menstrual taboo in far western Nepal
Yasoda Gautam
NPI-NSH College of Nursing and Health Science, Nepal
: J Nurs Patient Care
Abstract
Chhaupadi is a practice where girls/women are not allowed to enter inside the house, touch water and milk for 4 to 7 days during their menstruation period. they must stay in a hut outside, identified as a chhaupadi house. a mixed method study (Quan+Qual), was conducted to find out the practice of school going female adolescents regarding chhaupadi practice in Doti district of Far-western region of Nepal. It was found that Practice of chhaupadi ritual was significantly associated with ethnicity (OR: 54.667 95% CI, 5.990- 498.909), education of father (OR: 8.743 95% CI, 1.140-67.076), education of mother (OR: 8.069 95% CI, 1.814-35.892), occupation of father (OR: 3.337 95% CI, 1.262-8.823) and family income (OR: 4.085 95%CI, 1.576-10.589). The findings also revealed that chhaupadi ritual has been practiced by the people despite of the fact that it has serious effect in the health of the female. Also, it has threatened the security of the women, sometimes resulting brutal consequences like rape and death of the women. The study concluded that beside all other factors responsible for continuation of chhaupadi ritual, there is a strong superstitious belief that various miss happenings will occur due to violation of chhaupadi ritual. Therefore, it is necessary to increase awareness by lunching awareness programs and should be emphasized in school curriculum as well.
Biography
