[ad_1]
Many women have never heard of menstrual cups; some may only know them by brand names such as Diva Cups or Moon Cups. These are flexible bell-shaped silicone, rubber or latex devices that are inserted into the bad to capture menstrual blood. The cups can be left in place for four to twelve hours before being emptied, rinsed and reinserted.
The researchers found a handful of cases of toxic shock syndrome related to the use of menstrual cups around the world. But other factors may have contributed to these infections, and the devices seem to be as safe as alternatives, the authors said.
Although the patent for the first menstrual cup was issued nearly 100 years ago, devices have not been widely adopted because of religious and cultural beliefs and taboos about touching one's own bads and come into contact with the menstrual blood.
Today, as more and more women publicly talk about their rules, demand free health supplies in schools, and abolish taxes on tampons, many health experts believe the time has come for Use the reusable menstrual cup – an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable tampons and tampons.
The price is correct too: the price of a menstrual cup that can last up to 10 years is about $ 40 in the United States, although it is possible to get it there. buy at a lower price. One year supply of towels or disposable pads can cost between $ 60 and $ 120.
"People like low cost, as well as low cost to the environment," said Dr. Mariana Espinal, resident in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Yale.
Once a woman has her menstrual cups, Espinal added, she's never running out of sanitary supplies.
For low-income women who are chronically poor and unable to buy health products when needed, the cup can save lives, experts said.
"Just having access to this reusable product can eliminate some of the difficulties they face when they can not leave home and have to miss school or work because they do not have hygienic products," he said. declared Espinal.
The new document, published Tuesday in The Lancet Public Health, is based on data from 43 studies involving 3,319 participants worldwide. The authors found the quality of the evidence disappointing overall and called for more, more rigorous research.
Yet, the results dispel several myths. Most striking is that menstrual cups are just as effective at preventing menstrual leaks as towels and tampons, and may be more effective, the investigators found.
They examined four studies comparing leaks from various health products, including cups. Three of the studies showed that leak levels were similar – and one found that women had fewer leaks with menstrual cups than with towels or tampons.
According to the results of 13 studies, 73% of women who started using it although new users face a difficult learning curve before mastering the art of inserting the cup.
This can be a difficult adjustment in the beginning.
"It's not as easy to use as a tampon," said Anna Maria van Eijk, senior author of the journal and researcher in clinical research at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in Britain.
"There is a learning curve, it takes time and getting to know your body, and I think it's very important that people who want to use the cup get ready for it."
New users are often shocked by the size of the devices. Menstrual cups contain just under 1 ounce of fluid. They come in different sizes, but all measure about 1.9 inches tall. The edge of the cup, or bell, is about 1.6 inches in diameter.
"People do not understand their anatomy, they see it and think," It will never fit, "said Penelope Phillips-Howard, lead author of the journal, also of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine." They do not surrender I think it 's really very flexible, you shape the cup in some way and you fold it so you can insert it, then it opens inside the bad.
If the cup is inserted incorrectly, it would be uncomfortable and the user should remove it and try to reinsert it, said Phillips-Howard. It can take a woman two to three months to get used to the device. (Her own research found that teenage girls in Kenya preferred menstrual cups to towels).
And, she said, there is a first "critical" factor that needs to be overcome.
"It's just anecdotal, but a lot of girls and women I've talked to say it's a little disgusting," Phillips-Howard said. "Menstrual blood is taboo. You must not see it, you must not talk about it. And some people do not like to touch their bodies. You must be ready to touch yourself, even if it's not much different from using a stamp. "
The new badysis revealed no increased risk of infection badociated with the use of menstrual cups. However, the authors identified five cases in which menstrual cup users developed toxic shock syndrome, a life-threatening disease caused by the release of toxins from the proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
Since the total number of menstrual cup consumers is unknown, the authors were not able to estimate the risk in relation to other menstrual products, such as high-capacity tampons. Absorption, which were once linked to toxic shock syndrome.
The investigators found no adverse effects on the badl flora of the cup and no damage to the badl and cervical tissues.
The review revealed several cases in which women were having trouble removing a menstrual cup and had sought the help of a professional. There are two types of cups, cervical and badl; most of the problems involved smaller, more difficult-to-reach cervical cups.
Another complication concerned intrauterine contraceptives. The review identified 13 cases in which removal of the menstrual cup had caused dislodgement of the IUD.
The study also noted a small number of women reporting other rare complications badociated with the device, such as pain, badl injury, allergic reactions and urinary tract disorders.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Source link
