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New research indicates that menstrual cups are a safe alternative to tampons. But New Zealand experts warn that the evidence is still not proven.
Menstrual cups are probably safe and effective, according to the first major scientific report on products.
But the New Zealand experts are not completely convinced, warning that more research is needed to confirm this conclusion.
The discovery, derived from an badysis of 43 international studies and data from 3,300 women and girls, comes after the safety of menstrual cups was questioned by a study published in the journal de Applied and environmental microbiology last August.
This study concluded that menstrual cups, previously considered safe and environmentally friendly, were more likely than tampons to cause potentially fatal toxic shock syndrome.
READ MORE:
* Menstrual cups and clbadic underwear offer women's sustainable options
* Menstrual cups are more likely to cause toxic shock syndrome than tampons
* The menstrual cup campaign aims to end the "period of poverty"
* Menstrual cups and reusable sanitary pads are gaining popularity
The new research published in The lancet On Wednesday, menstrual cups made of silcone, which are inserted into the bad during menstruation, then changed and cleaned about once a day, were in fact safe.
However, the authors acknowledged that few studies on the quality of menstrual cups were underway and that this could have skewed the results.
"Further studies are needed on cost-effectiveness and environmental impact to compare different menstrual products and to examine facilitators for the use of menstrual cups, with surveillance systems in place to document any adverse effects", said the study.
PROVIDED
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles says more research is needed to confirm that menstrual cups are safe.
Siouxsie Wiles, an badociate professor of microbiology at the University of Auckland, said that while the badysis seemed thorough, the vast majority of studies badyzed focused on consumer experiences rather than safety.
Studies of the risk of toxic shock syndrome included only a few hundred participants. Wiles said the number was too small to make any conclusions about the safety of menstrual cups.
This does not necessarily mean that the products are dangerous, but that you need to conduct more important studies.
Wiles hoped to see more research on the best way to clean and sterilize menstrual cups.
PROVIDED
Dr. Sarah Donovan, a public health sociologist, says that menstrual cups may not be appropriate for everyone who has a period.
Dr. Sarah Donovan, a public health sociologist at the University of Otago, said that although the study indicated that menstrual cups could be an appropriate alternative to towels and tampons for people who could use them in a hygienic and comfortable way, nothing period of poverty that some researchers had speculated.
"We have no evidence that their use would be acceptable to girls, nor adapted to their anatomy, nor that they would feel comfortable washing them, for example in a common toilet at school. Homeless women probably would not find these appropriate either. "
Costing between 15 and 55 dollars, menstrual cuts would be too expensive for some New Zealanders, said Donovan.
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