Puberty lessons for African girls may raise attendance
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="shows">shows</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="simple">simple</span>, <span word="low">low</span>-<span word="cost">cost</span> <span word="interventions">interventions</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="help">help</span> <span word="teenage">teenage</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span> <span word="stay">stay</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="monthly">monthly</span> <span word="periods">periods</span>.</p><p><span word="Paul">Paul</span> <span word="Montgomery">Montgomery</span> <span word="led">led</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Department">Department</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Social">Social</span> <span word="Policy">Policy</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Intervention">Intervention</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Oxford">Oxford</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="England">England</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Women">Women</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="force">force</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="particularly">particularly</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="school">school</span>."</p><p><span word="One">One</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="twenty">twenty</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Ghana">Ghana</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="sixteen">sixteen</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="old">old</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="attended">attended</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="secondary">secondary</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="urban">urban</span> <span word="areas">areas</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rural">rural</span> <span word="area">area</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span>, <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="schools">schools</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="free">free</span> <span word="sanitary">sanitary</span> <span word="pads">pads</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lessons">lessons</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="puberty">puberty</span>. <span word="Their">Their</span> <span word="attendance">attendance</span> <span word="increased">increased</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="average">average</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="days">days</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="percent">percent</span>, <span word="during">during</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sixty">sixty</span>-<span word="five">five</span>-<span word="day">day</span> <span word="term">term</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="puberty">puberty</span> <span word="lessons">lessons</span> <span word="included">included</span> <span word="information">information</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="personal">personal</span> <span word="care">care</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="menstruation">menstruation</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="learned">learned</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biology">biology</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="developing">developing</span> <span word="bodies">bodies</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="pregnancy">pregnancy</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="school">school</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lessons">lessons</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="free">free</span> <span word="pads">pads</span>. <span word="Attendance">Attendance</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="improved">improved</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="nine">nine</span> <span word="percent">percent</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="five">five</span> <span word="months">months</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fourth">fourth</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="receive">receive</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="pads">pads</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lessons">lessons</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="showed">showed</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="improvement">improvement</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="attendance">attendance</span>.</p><p><span word="Professor">Professor</span> <span word="Montgomery">Montgomery</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="girls">girls</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="reasons">reasons</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="missing">missing</span> <span word="school">school</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="monthly">monthly</span> <span word="bleeding">bleeding</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="majority">majority</span> <span word="expressed">expressed</span> <span word="embarrassment">embarrassment</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="changes">changes</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="bodies">bodies</span>.</p>
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