The Impact of Personal Hygiene Practices on the Incidence of Vaginal Discharge Among Adolescent Girls at Junior High School 29 Surabaya, 2023

The teenage years are a period of rapid growth and development. Adolescence is a period of rapid growth and development, especially in the reproductive system. Many teenagers do not receive adequate knowledge about how to care for their reproductive organs because it is still considered taboo, so some teenagers may experience problems with their reproductive organs. A common issue faced by teenagers is leucorrhea. Leucorrhea is one of the problems that can arise due to the lack of knowledge among teenagers about maintaining reproductive health. Leucorrhea can develop into a serious problem if the care of the reproductive organs is not appropriately managed. This observational analytical study utilizes quantitative methods with a cross-sectional research design. The population was female  Junior High School (SMPN) students 29 Surabaya. The sample was selected using purposive sampling. Data analysis employed univariate and bivariate methods, with the Chi-Square Test used for statistical analysis. The findings indicated that 78.8% of respondents experienced physiological vaginal discharge, 17.7% had pathological vaginal discharge, and 3.5% reported never having vaginal discharge. Statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between personal hygiene and the incidence of vaginal discharge, with a p-value of 0.001. The research demonstrated a clear relationship between personal hygiene and the incidence of vaginal discharge. Educating adolescents about reproductive health and proper care for reproductive organs can help reduce the incidence of vaginal discharge among girls.

INTRODUCTION

Adolescence is a dynamic developmental phase in an individual's life. It is a transition period from childhood to adulthood, characterized by rapid physical, mental, and emotional development¹¹. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as 12 to 24, while the Indonesian Ministry of Health specifies this range as 10 to 19²².

Significant changes occur during adolescence, particularly in the reproductive system³. Many teenagers may lack knowledge about maintaining good reproductive health, which is crucial for overall well-being in both women and men. Additionally, reproductive health can impact the health of infants, children, adolescents, and individuals beyond their reproductive years⁴⁴.

Research conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) on reproductive health indicates that 75% of women will experience vaginal discharge at least once in their lifetime, with 45% encountering this issue two or more times⁵⁵.

In Indonesia, data from 2012 shows that 43.3 million teenagers aged 15-24 engage in unhealthy behaviors. Among the 23 million young women in this age group, 83% have had sexual intercourse, thereby increasing their chances of experiencing premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which is one of the causes of vaginal discharge⁶⁶. Research highlights that vaginal discharge is the second most common reproductive health issue after menstrual disorders that occur during adolescence⁷⁷.

Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease or disability. It encompasses freedom in all matters related to the reproductive system, function, and processes⁸⁸. Maintaining reproductive organ health starts with personal hygiene, including vaginal hygiene, which aims to keep the vagina clean, normal, healthy, and free from the possibility of disease⁹⁹.

Personal hygiene, derived from the Greek words for "individual" (personal) and "healthy" (hygiene), is crucial for overall health⁴⁴. Poor personal hygiene can lead to infections, particularly in the reproductive organs¹⁰¹⁰.

One common symptom of such diseases is vaginal discharge, which refers to fluid that exits the vagina (other than blood) and may be unusual in odor or consistency, often accompanied by localized itching¹¹¹¹. Furthermore, leucorrhea and inadequate personal hygiene can contribute to mental issues, including tension and anxiety, as well as discomfort from odor and itching that interferes with day-to-day activities¹²¹².

A healthy vaginal discharge serves as a lubricant and protection. The body may effectively resist unwanted foreign items with the help of vaginal mucus¹³¹³. Nevertheless, some leucorrhea symptoms can be morbid because they produce moisture in the vaginal area, which causes itching and irritation that interferes with all activities, particularly sexual ones, and makes them less comfortable¹⁴¹⁴.

Research conducted by Ratna Indriyani, Yuli Indriyawati, and Iva Gamar Dian Pratiwi in 2012 regarding the relationship between personal hygiene and vaginal discharge among female students at Ma Al-Hikmah Aeng Deke Bluto. This research used a cross-sectional approach with a sample size of 63 respondents. After analyzing the data using the contingency coefficient, it was found that there was a relationship between personal hygiene and the incidence of vaginal discharge¹⁵¹⁵.

Preliminary research at Junior High School (SMP) Negeri 29 Surabaya involved interviews with 10 female students. The findings showed that 8 of them had experienced vaginal discharge. Of these, seven students reported experiencing vaginal discharge both before and after menstruation and described the discharge as usual—neither excessive nor itchy. In contrast, one student reported experiencing smelly vaginal discharge accompanied by itching, while two students stated they had never experienced vaginal discharge.

SMP Negeri 29 Surabaya was chosen as the research site because adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to experiencing vaginal discharge, especially at the junior high school level, which coincides with early adolescence. Significant changes mark this period as individuals transition from childhood to adulthood. During adolescence, there is an acceleration in the development of reproductive organs, commonly referred to as puberty¹⁶¹⁶. This stage includes the onset of menarche or menstruation, which can leave young girls unsure of how to care for their reproductive health properly. Consequently, they are more susceptible to experiencing vaginal discharge.

Based on these considerations, the author intends to conduct research in 2023 on the relationship between personal hygiene and the incidence of vaginal discharge among adolescent girls at SMP Negeri 29 Surabaya.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research was conducted using an analytical survey, specifically observational analytics. It employs a cross-sectional research design to examine the relationship between personal hygiene and the incidence of vaginal discharge. In this design, both the independent variable (risk factor) and dependent variable (effect) are measured simultaneously at a single point in time to explore their relationship¹⁷¹⁷.

The population targeted in this study consists of all female students at SMP Negeri 29 Surabaya during the 2023/2024 academic year. The sample size was determined using the Slovin formula, which indicated that a minimum of 85 respondents was required for the study.

Sampling was conducted according to the researcher's specific inclusion and exclusion criteria¹⁸¹⁸. The inclusion criteria are as follows: the respondent must be a female student at SMP Negeri 29 Surabaya, aged between 11 and 15, must reside with their family, and must have experienced menstruation. Exclusion criteria included respondents who were undergoing special medical treatment, those who had engaged in excessive douching,