Women’s Understanding and Cultural Practices Related to Vaginal Discharge: A Qualitative Study

Background: Vaginal discharge is a common gynecological complaint amongwomen in the reproductive age group. Objective: The aim of this study was toexplore cultural practices and health‑seeking behaviors related to vaginal dischargeamong women living in a socially marginalized community in Colombo district,Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive qualitative design was used in this study. Threefocus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in an urban slum communityamong women who had a previous history with vaginal discharge. A total of23 women of different ethnicities and religions were included. FGDs wereaudio recorded and field notes were taken. Verbatim transcripts were analyzedon the basis of qualitative content analysis. Results: Six themes emerged fromthe data, namely, confusion in differentiating normal from abnormal vaginaldischarge, effects on day‑to‑day life, confusion toward the causative factors,difficulties in disclosing, neglecting behaviors, and socio‑cultural influencestoward health‑seeking behaviors. Majority of women expressed that they usehome remedies before consulting a doctor for abnormal vaginal discharge.Conclusions: Women are unable to differentiate normal from abnormal vaginaldischarge. Thus, it is important for nurses and primary healthcare workers to planhealth education activities for women to empower them with adequate knowledgeand improve their health‑seeking behaviors.