Devi R Swathika, V M Anantha Eashwar, Pandian Sujitha, Albert Sekhar Monica, G Sushmitha, Narayanan Kiruthika, S Gowtham, C M Nikhil
Community Medicine, Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, IND.
Cureus. 2025 Apr 22;17(4):e82780. doi: 10.7759/cureus.82780. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Background In India, sanitary pads are the most used menstrual hygiene product despite potential health and environmental risks. Menstrual cups offer a safer, sustainable alternative, but lack widespread study. This study examines awareness, attitudes, and practices of menstrual cup use among medical students and factors influencing adoption. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a private medical college in Chennai in India among 250 medical students. Participants were selected through simple random sampling. After obtaining informed consent, data collection was carried out using a pre-structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Data was entered into MS Excel (Microsoft® Corp., Redmond, WA, USA) and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Descriptive statistics are presented in tables, analytical statistics include the calculation of unadjusted odds ratios, followed by logistic regression analysis to assess associations between relevant variables. Results Among the 250 study participants, more than two-thirds were aged between 18 and ≤ 21 years. Poor knowledge about menstrual cups (56.4%), unfavorable attitudes (57.6%), and menstrual cup usage of 46.4% were noted among the study participants. Key factors significantly associated with poor knowledge about menstrual cups included family members who did not use menstrual cups (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.21), non-availability of menstrual cups (AOR 5.12), experiencing frequent menstrual problems (AOR 2.11), and receiving doctors' advice regarding menstrual issues (AOR 2.91). Unfavorable attitudes were linked to concerns while purchasing sanitary napkins (AOR 3.60), non-usage by family members (AOR 2.16), non-availability (AOR 3.10), menstrual issues (menorrhagia, recurrent infections), disposal concerns (AOR 2.60), and perceived difficulty of use (AOR 4.17). Conclusion This study highlights the necessity for enhanced education on menstrual hygiene practices, even within the medical community, to address the knowledge gap. It is essential to educate young medical students on the benefits and drawbacks of menstrual cups, with a focus on why they are a safer and more eco-sustainable option. Future research should be conducted in community settings to allow for the generalization of the findings.
在印度，尽管卫生棉条存在潜在的健康和环境风险，但仍是使用最广泛的经期卫生用品。月经杯提供了一种更安全、可持续的选择，但缺乏广泛的研究。本研究调查了医学生对月经杯的认知、态度和使用情况以及影响其采用的因素。方法：这项横断面研究在印度金奈的一所私立医学院对250名医学生进行。参与者通过简单随机抽样选取。在获得知情同意后，使用预先构建和预先测试的问卷进行数据收集。数据录入MS Excel（美国华盛顿州雷德蒙德市微软公司），并使用IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 25版（2017年发布；美国纽约州阿蒙克市IBM公司）进行分析。描述性统计数据列于表格中，分析性统计包括计算未调整的比值比，随后进行逻辑回归分析以评估相关变量之间的关联。结果：在250名研究参与者中，超过三分之二的年龄在18岁至21岁之间。研究参与者中对月经杯了解不足（56.4%）、态度不积极（57.6%）以及月经杯使用率为46.4%。与对月经杯了解不足显著相关的关键因素包括不使用月经杯的家庭成员（调整后的比值比[AOR] 3.21）、无法获得月经杯（AOR 5.12）、经常出现月经问题（AOR 2.11）以及接受医生关于月经问题的建议（AOR 2.91）。不积极的态度与购买卫生巾时的担忧（AOR 3.60）、家庭成员不使用（AOR 2.16）、无法获得（AOR 3.10）、月经问题（月经过多、反复感染）、处理担忧（AOR 2.60）以及感知使用难度（AOR 4.17）有关。结论：本研究强调了加强经期卫生习惯教育的必要性，即使在医学界内部，以填补知识空白。有必要对年轻医学生进行月经杯利弊的教育，重点是为什么它们是更安全、更生态可持续的选择。未来的研究应在社区环境中进行，以便将研究结果推广。
