Thursday, 24 June 2021 | Purnima Bisht | Dehradun
Though many women have termed the use of menstrual cups as a life-changer due to their various advantages, most of the women population in Uttarakhand is still unaware of this menstrual hygiene product. Many of those who do know about it are reluctant to use them. A menstrual cup is a kind of feminine hygiene product that is mainly made up of medical-grade silicone but unlike non-biodegradable sanitary pads, it can be used for several years. However, its use is quite lesser than sanitary pads.
“Sanitary pads obviously seem much easier to use than menstrual cups because we use it externally rather than inserting it. However, the process of using a menstrual cup also becomes easy after the initial two-three uses,” said Dehradun resident Sandhya Dwivedi. She said that switching to a cup changed her life for good. “I used to spend at least Rs 500 every month on sanitary pads and tampons but it has been three years since I started using the menstrual cup which I had bought for about Rs 400,” stated Dwivedi. Megha Gupta, a postgraduate student stated that she had ordered the menstrual cup online during the lockdown last year but it took her four months to finally use it. “I had done my research before buying the menstrual cup about how it is eco-friendly and light on the pocket too but I could not gather the courage to use it. There was a fear of inserting an object inside my body but I saw a bunch of You Tube videos and finally did it after four months. It took me some time to figure out how to insert it properly but once I got it, I haven’t switched back to sanitary pads,” said Gupta. Some women might find it messy initially while using the menstrual cup but this initial struggle overshadows all the benefits the usage of cups provide like comfortable and odourless menstruation, saves money and environment, opined Gupta.
Talking about menstrual cups, gynaecologist Dr Sujata Sanjay stated, using a menstrual cup is quite easy due to its design and when it is inserted properly it collects the menstrual blood rather than absorbing it. The cup must be emptied regularly as per the flow but it can easily collect blood for longer hours than sanitary pads and tampons, informed Sanjay. She said that menstrual cups can be used for eight to ten years but they must be kept in proper hygienic conditions. “It is crucial to wash the cups properly after every wash and store it properly in order to avoid any uterus infection,” stated the gynaecologist.
She said that those who use pads for hours without changing them often go through uterus infection which is not common while using cups. “The menstrual cup also acts as a barricade which prevents the internal part of the vagina from infection due to any external agents,” added Dr Sanjay.
She further stated that sanitary pads are used in abundance but their proper disposal remains a big concern. Besides this, many women dispose of the used sanitary pads with usual garbage that might cause the spread of infection. Such factors make the menstrual cup a better option than other options available, stated Dr Sanjay.
On being asked why only a few women use menstrual cups, she said the main reason is that most of the people in Uttarakhand are neither aware of its name nor the product itself. According to her, the unavailability of the product in the local market is also one of the factors due to which people do not use menstrual cups.
