Silent Struggles: New UCU-Led Study Exposes Menstrual Hygiene Challenges Facing Female University Students in Uganda

By Jimmy Siyasa

A new peer-reviewed study led by researchers from Uganda Christian University (UCU) has shed light on the often-overlooked menstrual hygiene challenges confronting female university students in Uganda, revealing that the transition from secondary school to higher education does not shield young women from period poverty, cultural stigma, or inadequate sanitation facilities.

A Gap in the Evidence

Published in the Texila International Journal of Academic Research in January 2026, the study, titled “Silent Struggles: Menstrual Hygiene Challenges Faced by Female University Students in Uganda”, set out to explore an area that has received remarkably little research attention. While menstrual health interventions in Uganda have largely targeted primary and secondary school girls, the study notes that female university students face a distinct set of challenges that policy and programming have yet to address.

The research was conducted at two universities: one private institution in Central Uganda and one public university in the South-western region. A total of 88 participants took part through eight focus group discussions and 16 key informant interviews, complemented by structured observations of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities on both campuses.

Physical Pain, Missed Classes, and Silence

At the individual level, findings revealed that dysmenorrhea, painful menstruation, contributed to university absenteeism, reduced concentration, and diminished academic performance. One female student reported that physical pains and fear of staining her clothes prevented her from attending classes.

But the challenges extend well beyond the physical. The study found that many students held knowledge gaps about menstrual hygiene management, often shaped by cultural taboos passed down through families and communities. Some participants reported that they had never been properly taught how to use sanitary products, even by their own mothers.

Cultural Beliefs and Disposal Fears

Socio-cultural beliefs emerged as a powerful influence. The study documented that associations between menstruation and sorcery led some students to fear having their used sanitary products seen by others. Rather than using pad bins, some students disposed of pads in toilets, blocking plumbing, or wrapped them in plastic bags to carry off campus.

Restrictions linked to menstruation, including prohibitions on cooking, movement, and attending prayers, were also reported. While some participants embraced menstruation as a natural part of growth, the prevailing cultural environment at both campuses discouraged open discussion.

Infrastructure Failures

Observations of WASH facilities revealed significant gaps. Some toilets lacked labels distinguishing male from female use, and at the public university, men were observed using female facilities. Neither campus provided dedicated change rooms or spaces to wash reusable sanitary pads. At the public university, bathing facilities were found to be unhygienic, and the campus incinerator for menstrual waste was dysfunctional.

From an economic standpoint, the study found that some students could not afford sanitary products at all. A key informant disclosed that this precarious situation pushed some students into transactional sex to obtain money for pads.

A Call for University-Level Policy

The researchers framed their findings using the socio-ecological model, demonstrating that menstrual hygiene challenges operate across individual, interpersonal, institutional, societal, and policy levels. Critically, the study found that neither university had a dedicated programme or policy aimed at addressing period poverty or promoting menstrual hygiene management.

The study recommends that universities invest in improved WASH facilities, establish menstrual health education programmes, and develop institutional policies that prioritise the well-being and academic success of female students.

About the Lead Researcher

The study was led by Josephine Namyalo, a researcher affiliated with UCU’s Department of Public Health and Save the Mothers, East Africa. She is a Public Health specialist with a background in Community Health. She has several years of experience in academic Management, Teaching and Research. Her research straddles health systems strengthening and Reproductive maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH)

For the study, she was joined by co-authors Mukooza Edward, Faith Musinguzi, Emmanuel Otieno, and Robert Basaza.

The research was funded by UCU- Research Fund. The full article is available in Texila International Journal of Academic Research, Volume 13, Issue 1 (2026), DOI: [10.21522/TIJAR.2014.13.01.Art010] (https://doi.org/10.21522/TIJAR.2014.13.01.Art010)