Menstrual Cups Are Safe, Says study

Now the first review and analysis of the use of menstrual cups globally, that includes 43 studies and data from 3,300 women and girls, published in The Lancet Public Health Journal suggests they are safe and result in similar, or lower, leakage than disposable pads or tampons. "Despite the fact that 1.9 billion women globally are of menstruating age - spending on average 65 days a year dealing with menstrual blood flow, few good quality studies exist that compare sanitary products," senior author Professor Penelope Phillips-Howard from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, said.

The study hence summarised current knowledge about leakage, safety and acceptability of menstrual cups, comparing them to other products. It combined data from medical studies and grey literature - such as conference abstracts, reports and theses - for which participants reported their experiences of menstrual cups or their willingness to use them.

The authors from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh Royal School of Tropical Medicine and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation compiled global information on the availability and costs of menstrual cups, conducted preliminary estimates on waste savings and examined puberty education materials to assess the extent to which menstrual cups are referred to as an option.

Although there are 199 brands of menstrual cups available in 99 countries, awareness is low - cups were only mentioned in 21 of 69 websites containing educational materials on puberty from 27 countries. Menstrual cups collect blood flow, rather than absorbing it as with pads and tampons. Like tampons, they are inserted into the vagina, before being emptied every 4-12 hours. The materials used to make them are medical grade silicone, rubber, latex or elastomer and can last up to ten years.

The review identified the products usually used in low middle income countries, which include cloths, cotton wool, tissue paper and other pieces of material, as well as disposable pads. Leakage and chaffing are a common concern

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