Acceptability of the menstrual cup among students in further education institutions in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

Objective

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate long-term user acceptability of menstrual cups in a student population in South Africa.

Methods

A cohort of female students aged 18–24 years attending 10 further education institutions including 22 campus sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were offered menstrual cups after receiving education and training in their use. The students were followed for up to 12 months to assess menstrual cup acceptability, user experiences and continuation.

Results

A total of 509 students were enrolled. Disposable pads were the primary menstrual hygiene product used in the 3 months prior to the baseline interview (95.5%, n = 486), and 8.1% (n = 41) of students reported that they had used toilet paper or newspapers. Of the 463 (91%) students interviewed at 1 month follow-up, 86% reported that they had tried to use the menstrual cup. There was mixed reporting on ease of insertion and removal on first use. Of those who attempted use, half (49.5%, n = 197) reported that inserting the menstrual cup on first use was very easy or quite easy. Of those who did not find it easy, 80% reported that two to three insertions were required to achieve comfort. A maximum of five insertions was mentioned to achieve comfort. The majority who had used the cup (>90%) reported they would continue to use it at each follow-up visit.

Conclusion

The menstrual cup was well accepted among this student population and should be considered as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable option in menstrual health management initiatives in South Africa.

摘要

目的：本研究的主要目的是评估南非学生人群中月经杯长期使用的可接受性。方法：在南非KwaZulu-Natal的10所继续教育机构的22个校区, 对18-24岁的女学生进行月经杯相关教育和培训后, 给予她们月经杯。之后对学生进行长达12个月的跟踪调查, 以评估月经杯的可接受性、使用者体验和持续性。结果：共纳入509名学生。基线访谈前3个月, 一次性护垫是学生主要使用的月经卫生用品（95.5%, n=486人）, 8.1%（n=41人）的学生报告他们使用过卫生纸或报纸。在1个月随访的463名(91%)学生中, 86%的人报告说他们曾尝试使用月经杯。关于首次使用时放置和取出的便利性, 反馈褒贬不一。在那些尝试使用月经杯的学生中, 有一半(49.5%, n=197人)反馈, 第一次使用时放置月经杯非常便利或相当便利。在那些觉得不方便的学生中, 80%反馈需要插入两到三次才能达到舒适程度。有的使用者为了达到舒适性, 最多插入了五次。大多数使用过月经杯的人(>90%)每次随访时都表示会继续使用它。结论：月经杯在这些学生群体中有很好的接受度, 应该被认为是南非月经健康管理计划中一种经济有效和环保可持续的选择。

Keywords:

• Higher education
• menstrual cup
• menstrual health management
• South Africa
• students

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest associated with this article.