Menstrual cups are protected and sturdy – but may be difficult for first-time users, recent research suggests

Many young women and other menstruators are turning to menstrual cups to assist regulate their periods.

In 2021, my partner and I People aged 15 to 29 years were surveyed. in Victoria and located that 17% had used a menstrual cup during their last period. A study published in 2022 in Spain found. 47 percent of 18- to 25-year-olds Used a menstrual cup last 12 months.

Menstrual cups There are small, flexible cups which can be inserted into the vagina to gather menstrual blood. Most are fabricated from medical grade silicone. They may be emptied, rinsed and reused, and sterilized by boiling water or microwaves.

A 2019 Research review Menstrual cups have been found to be protected and effective. They also reduce environmental waste and are cheaper than disposable products like pads and tampons.

However, our A recent study Young people often face difficulties and discomfort that will discourage them from continuing to make use of a menstrual cup. This highlights the necessity for higher education and support.

We desired to know what young people take into consideration menstrual cups.

My colleagues and I conducted the survey. 530 young people living in Australia Between the ages of 15 and 24 who had ever tried using a menstrual cup.

We used a menstrual cycle tracking app to search out participants. The clue. Clue users received a pop-up message after they opened the app inviting them to hitch the study.

Using Clue meant we could reach a bigger group of young people. It also avoided the chance of our survey being shared on online networks that is likely to be more biased, comparable to cup advocacy groups.

At the identical time, we relied on volunteers. We know that more of our participants were from cities and more affluent areas than average. And it's possible that folks who had more negative or positive experiences were motivated to finish the survey.

Pain, leakage and cupping

Many teenagers experience difficulties with menstrual cups, especially the primary time they use them. During the primary period participants used a menstrual cup:

• Only 10% successfully insert their cup on the primary try.

• More than half (54%) reported leaking cups.

• One in 4 (25%) reported pain or discomfort when the cup was in place.

• 45% couldn't remove the menstrual cup on their first try, with 17% reporting that they needed help removing it.

• 12 youth (2%) reported that their IUD had turn out to be displaced (IUDs). Small contraceptive devices inserted into the uterus).

The participants described these difficulties as disturbing. One said:

I kept being told that the cup fit was one size suits all and I actually hurt myself attempting to fit it on a regular basis and felt uncomfortable that I used to be one way or the other different.

By the time of the survey, nearly one-third (29%) of youth had stopped using the cup. Of this group, 40% stopped after trying the cup for only one period.

A learning curve

Experiences improved for individuals who continued to make use of the menstrual cup. By the time they'd used a cup for greater than six cycles, 40% of the teenagers reported no problems.

Of the participants who continued to make use of a cup, 48% felt confident after one to a few cycles, and one other 21% after 4 to 6 cycles. As one explained:

Trying to tug it out the primary time was scary since the grip is so different from a tampon. Feel prefer it's stuck and also you'll never get it out. […] All my friends have had a terrible first experience but then it's wonderful!

Some participants switched to a distinct menstrual cup and located it helpful – 75% of switchers said it improved their experience. I improved.

Here are our results. According to past research which states that menstrual cups have a learning curve and users turn out to be more comfortable using them over time.

Education is very important.

We found that many young people didn't know enough about how you can select or use a menstrual cup.

Only 19% of young people strongly agreed once we asked in the event that they had enough information to make an informed alternative about which menstrual cup to purchase. Less than half (44%) knew that different menstrual cups have different characteristics (comparable to different sizes, firmness, and that they're designed for various cervical heights).

We need higher details about how young people can fit the right cup more easily. Online resources comparable to the web site “Add a cup to it.“Intended to supply comparisons across cups to tell consumers.

More broadly, there may be a necessity for youth More information about reusable menstrual products Like menstrual cups.

Providing realistic information concerning the learning curve and potential pitfalls when starting out will help young people feel prepared and construct. Informed product choices.

Better information could also help governments and other organizations considering providing free or subsidized menstrual cups as a part of initiatives to make menstrual products more cost-effective.

Comprehensive menstrual health education should begin in our schools, empowering young individuals with the knowledge to make informed selections about their bodies.