This pilot study assesses the adaptability and the effectiveness of menstrual cups by “naïve users” who have been using sanitary pads/tampons/cloth as conventional menstrual sanitary protection. The study was conducted at the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society, Medical College and Hospital, Dharpur, Patan, Gujarat, India. A total of 158 participants aged between ages of 20 to 50 years with regular menstrual cycle were enrolled in the study. Participants were provided menstrual cups to be used for three consecutive menstrual cycles. They were given detailed explanation/information about its usage. Feedback was obtained after every cycle for three cycles using a structured questionnaire. The cup was preferred for comfort, dryness, and less odor. Insertion was easy for 80% participants and 90% participants found removal easy. Leakage was encountered in 3-6%. There were few side effects like rashes, dryness or infection. Discontinuations were due to different reasons including: feeling messy, could not insert the cup after repeated attempts, and difficult removal. Several participants were lost to the study due to moves, or inability to follow-up. Authors suggest that concerns regarding messy removal and inconvenient disposal might be minimized by including an inexpensive plastic glove with the cup packaging. The need to touch the genitals in order to manipulate the menstrual cup in and out of the vaginal vault can potentially be a major barrier to menstrual cup acceptance, however authors argue that proper counseling with users regarding its use could overcome this challenge.
Language
English
Authors
C. R. Kakani, Jalpa K. Bhatt
Relevant locations
India
Best suited for
Quantitative researcher,Health provider,Medical expert,Curriculum developer,Mhm trainer
Citation
Kakan,i C., Bhatt, J. (2017) Study of adaptability and efficacy of menstrual cup in managing menstrual health and hygiene, International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 6 (7)
Open acess
yes
Type of research
Quantitative research,Pilot
Year
2017
Comments