Knowledge, Attitude and Experiences of Students Regarding Menstrual Cup Usage in a Medical College in North Kerala, India.

kerala medical students menstrual cup menstrual hygiene menstruation

Journal

Cureus
ISSN: 2168-8184
Titre abrégé: Cureus
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101596737

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
Sep 2023
Historique:
accepted: 28 09 2023
medline: 30 10 2023
pubmed: 30 10 2023
entrez: 30 10 2023
Statut: epublish

Résumé

Sanitary napkins form a major source of solid waste, the disposal of which often results in environmental pollution. Menstrual cups are an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to sanitary pads that have yet to gain much popularity among Indian women. The current study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and experiences of using the menstrual cup among medical students in a college in north Kerala, India.  Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 109 female medical students. Data was collected through an online platform and analyzed using Epi Info version 7.2 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA). Though all the participants had heard about the menstrual cup before, only 14 (12.8%) were using it either alone or in conjunction with sanitary pads. The majority of the participants had a positive attitude towards the usage of menstrual cups with 91.74% considering it a better alternative to other sanitary products, Among the several concerns expressed by the participants, 58.7% were concerned about the insertion of a foreign material into their bodies. Though most of the participants displayed a positive attitude towards the menstrual cup, the number of participants who had ever tried it was very low. There are several apprehensions regarding the cup that need to be addressed before it can be expected to gain popularity.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Sanitary napkins form a major source of solid waste, the disposal of which often results in environmental pollution. Menstrual cups are an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to sanitary pads that have yet to gain much popularity among Indian women. The current study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and experiences of using the menstrual cup among medical students in a college in north Kerala, India.  Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 109 female medical students. Data was collected through an online platform and analyzed using Epi Info version 7.2 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA).
RESULTS RESULTS
Though all the participants had heard about the menstrual cup before, only 14 (12.8%) were using it either alone or in conjunction with sanitary pads. The majority of the participants had a positive attitude towards the usage of menstrual cups with 91.74% considering it a better alternative to other sanitary products, Among the several concerns expressed by the participants, 58.7% were concerned about the insertion of a foreign material into their bodies.
CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS
Though most of the participants displayed a positive attitude towards the menstrual cup, the number of participants who had ever tried it was very low. There are several apprehensions regarding the cup that need to be addressed before it can be expected to gain popularity.

Identifiants

pubmed: 37900488
doi: 10.7759/cureus.46151
pmc: PMC10613098
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

e46151

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2023, Arumadi et al.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Références

Lancet Public Health. 2019 Aug;4(8):e376-e393
pubmed: 31324419
J Cancer Res Ther. 2023 Jul-Sep;19(5):1148-1152
pubmed: 37787277
PLoS One. 2015 Jun 30;10(6):e0130777
pubmed: 26125184
Cureus. 2022 Sep 28;14(9):e29690
pubmed: 36187174
J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2011 Feb;20(2):303-11
pubmed: 21194348

Auteurs

Anupama Arumadi (A)

Community Medicine, Kunhitharuvai Memorial Charitable Trust (KMCT) Medical College, Kozhikode, IND.

Rupesh Raman (R)

Community Medicine, Kunhitharuvai Memorial Charitable Trust (KMCT) Medical College, Kozhikode, IND.

Nourin A Thayyil (NA)

Community Medicine, Kunhitharuvai Memorial Charitable Trust (KMCT) Medical College, Kozhikode, IND.

Ruby R Rasheed (RR)

Community Medicine, Kunhitharuvai Memorial Charitable Trust (KMCT) Medical College, Kozhikode, IND.

Classifications MeSH