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Once it has been washed, the fabric protection has to be dried. However, data showthat it is rarely put out in the sun. Thus, of those using fabric, 45% dry it in toilets,40% in bedrooms and 15% in the sun. In rural areas, however, the fabric protectionis mostly dried in the sun.Discretion and beliefs about periods are the main reasons behind people choosingto dry the fabric protection in bedrooms. At the focus groups, girls and women saidthat men must not see the fabric. They also think that sanitary protection fabric maybe used by an enemy to cast an evil spell over the woman.This was emphasized by one participant of a focus group organized at Bandafassi:“I wash my fabric protection in the toilets, but I dry it behind my bedroom door. I haveto dry it in a discreet place because, when I was 25 years old, someone cast a spell on methrough my sanitary protection fabric. I went three months without a period. To findout the reason, my mother consulted a sorcerer who told her that I had been mysticallyattacked through my protective fabric.”Stories like these are not uncommon. Such testimonies have repercussionson community practices and beliefs.Outcomes of the studyFigure 10Place where sanitary material is washed3% 1%96%Figure 11Place where sanitary material is dried40%15%45%Figure 12Access to a water point31%69%Hygiene during menstruationThe questions, “During your period, how many times toyou bathe a day?”, “How often do you change?”, “Do youwash your hands with soap after changing your sanitaryprotection?”, reveal good hygiene practices in bothrural and urban areas. In detail:––94.1% of respondents said that they showered atleast twice a day when they were menstruating.It should be noted that 69% of the girls and womensaid that they had running water at home.––93.9% of girls and women changed their sanitaryprotection and washed their private parts at leasttwice a day.––95.4% of respondents wash their hands with soapafter changing their sanitary protection.46