This is a school-based cross-sectional study conducted among female adolescents whornwere enrolled for 2003/04 academic year in Addis Ababa Secondary Schools. It wasrndone as part of the curriculum for partial fulfillment of master degree in public health.rnPathfinder International and Packard Foundation sponsored it.rnThe study was conducted on randomly selected 863 students. The study looked atrnresearch questions such as age at menarche and its correlates; role of parents, schoolsrnand friends in the process of maturation; how they are prepared and dealt withrnmenarche, and the current practices; and menstrual hygiene and suitability of schoolrnenvironment during menstruation with its effect on learning process. To reach at therndesired objectives, different instruments were used. These were Pre-tested selfrnadministered questionnaire; Key informant interview, checklist for observation andrnfocus group discussion.rnThe study revealed that the mean age at menarche was (13.72Â±1.31) years. Therndominant sources of information and advice on menstruation and how to deal with werernteachers, mothers, elder sisters and friends. Fathers and brothers were the leastrnconsulted. Almost all girls hadnâ€™t expected their menstruation when it happened for thernfirst time. Seventy seven percent of them believed that menstruation was not a femalernmatter which should be kept for oneself, not to talk of it openly to others; 54% of themrnhadnâ€™t told any body. Girls preferred to get information on menstrual matters fromrnfemale teachers, mothers, female health personnel friends and elder sisters in theirrndescending order. The most felt needs during early days of menarche were menstrualrnsoak ups and information. Sixty one percent of the girls used rag made soak ups duringrnmenarche while the current practice showed that only 52% of them used rag made.rnSeventy four percent of girls reported to have health problems related to menstruationrnwhere abdominal/backache and mood change were the most reported. Absenteeismrndue to menstruation related health problems was 51%, majority of them for one dayrnwhen the occurrence of menstruation coincided with week days.rnviirnIn Addis Ababa adolescent girls reach at menarche while they are still in elementaryrnschools, before they get sufficient information and counseling on menstruation or howrnto deal with it. Though most of the girls apparently had classes or obtained informationrnon menstruation related facts that focused more on biologic and hygienic aspect,rnbasically they didnâ€™t address the psychosocial factors. This directly or indirectly mayrncontribute to absenteeism. Besides this, the poor school facilities that couldnâ€™t respondrnwell to the needs of menstruating girls and lack of concern for its management atrnschool are the areas that need attention.rnHence, schools should provide the minimum acceptable, desirable and affordablernstandardized menstrual hygiene for girls. Health education or any education related tornARH, maturation process, should focus and complete the parent-student-teacher circle.rnIntervention programs focusing on school health should work in line with improving thisrnsituation as well as take this advantage as a good entry point to addressing other ARHrnproblems including HIV/AIDS.rnKey words: Age at menarche, Menstrual Hygiene, Absenteeism duernmenstruation related health problems and Sexuality