Concerns and Willingness to Use Menstrual Cup Among Healthcare Personnel: A Mixed-Method Study From Tertiary Care...

The menstrual cup is a sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to traditional menstrual hygiene products, offering long-term comfort and protection. This study aims to assess knowledge and perception regarding menstrual cups among healthcare personnel and explore their perception of the menstrual cup.

A cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted among 248 female healthcare personnel at a tertiary care institute in northern India. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data and an in-depth interview guide among 31 participants was used to explore perceptions about the cup. Knowledge was assessed across eight domains, and a score was calculated. A score of "8" was considered as having adequate knowledge and any score between "1-7" was considered partial knowledge and a score of "0" as no knowledge. Categorical variables were presented as frequency (%) and continuous variables as mean (±SD). A Chi-square test was conducted to see the association of sociodemographic characteristics with adequate knowledge. A P-value < 0.05 was considered significant. The qualitative data were coded, thematically analyzed, and triangulated with quantitative data.

Very few (1.7%) of the participants had adequate knowledge about the cup regarding its size, type of material, method of insertion and removal, cleaning, duration of use, and source of obtaining the cup. The perceived barriers to cup usage were limited knowledge, pain in using a menstrual cup, fear of infection, sudden expulsion of the cup from the body, retention in the body, or loss of virginity. Current users reported cups as a better alternative to sanitary napkins, being free of side effects, cheaper, convenient, and eco-friendly.

There is a need to equip healthcare professionals with adequate knowledge about the menstrual cup and address their misconceptions. This will potentially help women adopt safe, cost-effective, and eco-friendly menstrual hygiene methods like a menstrual cup.