vaginal tract. Studies that examined the vagina and cervix during follow-up also found no tissue damage due to menstrual cup use.
Some women did report difficulty in removing menstrual cups, the review found. Five women reported pain, three reported vaginal wounds, six reported an allergy or rash and nine reported urinary tract problems, according to the review.
On the other hand, cheap, safe and effective means of menstrual care are needed. The U.K. team noted that, globally, issues with the monthly cycle can affect girls’ schooling and women’s work, increase their odds for urogenital infections if they use poor-quality sanitary products, and make them targets of sexual violence or coercion if they can’t afford sanitary products.
The researchers said there are also initiatives in many countries to combat so-called “period poverty” — issues with the affordability of menstrual products. So, policy makers need to know which sanitary products to include in menstrual health programs and puberty-education materials.
In an editorial accompanying the study, Julie Hennegan of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in
