Disposable menstrual regulation kits in a non-throw-away economy

The directions for use that are packaged with plastic menstrual regulation kits state that the kits are designed to be durable for approximately 50 procedures when used as directed. However, in much of the developing world, directions for use are ignored, equipment is not maintained properly and nothing (including disposable medical equipment) is discarded until it is unless. Therefore, it is of interest to know for how many procedures the disposable menstrual regulation kit can safely be used. This paper describes a study conducted in Singapore to determine the durability of three menstrual regulation kits manufactured by different companies and comments on how cleaning and sterilizing affects the durability of these kits.