Menstrual Cup Use in Japanese Women: Subjective Evaluations and Changes in Menstrual Symptoms
Main Article Content
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background: Menstrual cups are a safe and economical alternative to sanitary pads or tampons that also hold equal or smaller quantities of menstrual blood. However, menstrual cups are seldom used by Japanese women. Some Japanese women have recently described on their blogs their experiences of using imported menstrual cups.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is clarify the changes in menstrual symptoms associated with the use of menstrual cups and to explore the availability of menstrual cups among Japanese women.
Methods: A mixed method design of both qualitative and quantitative approaches was used. Participants were 22 healthy Japanese midwives with no organic diseases of the uterus or experience of using menstrual cups. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) was administered before and after intervention with use of menstrual cups, and the presence of any changes in the MDQ score was investigated. Participants used menstrual cups during three menstrual cycles, and recorded the ease of use, degree of comfort, and the presence or absence of pain and problems.
Results: The scores of the MDQ completed by 22 Japanese midwives were compared and no significant difference between the two was found, suggesting that the use of a menstrual cup would not have a deteriorating effect on menstrual symptoms. Sixty percent of the feedback from participants who used menstrual cups for the first time was negative, such as Discomfort when using menstrual cup and worry also discomfort regarding hygienic handing of cup. However, over 70% mentioned the physical advantages of menstrual cups over conventional sanitary products such as Reduction in menstruation-related discomfort and Ease of dealing with menstruation.
Conclusion: Our study findings suggested that reducing psychological hesitation and decreasing negative impressions, such as anxiety about using it for the first time, are important to promote wider use of menstrual cups by Japanese women.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Articles and files in this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Beksinska, Smit, Greener, Todd, Lee, Maphumulo, & Hoffmann. (2015). Acceptability and performance of the menstrual cup in South Africa; a randomized crossover trial comparing the menstrual cup to tampons or sanitary pads. Journal of Women’s Health, 24 (2), 151–158., 24(2), 151–158.
Carnethon, M. R., Sternfeld, B., Liu, K., Jr, D. R. J., Schreiner, P. J., Williams, O. D., Lewis, C. E., & Sidney, S. (2012). 20 Years in a Healthy Population Sample. Young, 44(2), 273–279.
Gharacheh, Ranjbar, Hajinasab, & Haghani. (2021). Acceptability and safety of the menstrual cups among Iranian women: A cross-sectional study. BMC Women’s Health, 21(1), 105.
Goto, & Okuda. (2005). Premenstrual symptoms and it’s management; Assessment with Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. Boll. FAC Health Sci. Okayama University Med. School.
Hosono, Ichikawa, Tagami, & Igaki. (2010). Effects of warming in young female adults with menstrual distress. Japanese Journal of Nursing Art and Science, 9(2), 39–47.
Ikeda, Suzuki, & Maeda. (2013). Relationships between Menstrual symptoms, lifestyle habit, and cold sensitivity in High School students. Maternal Health, 53(4), 487–496.
Kaimura, & Kusaga. (2008). Impact of reusable cloth menstrual pads on unidentified complaints of female students [in Japanese]. Journal of Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 13(3), 143–152.
Kaimura, & Ueda. (2015). Health Education Program verification to relieve a menstruation accessory symptom aiming at improvement of the QOL of female college students. Journal of Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 20(2), 181–192.
Kakani, & Bhatt. (2017). Study of adaptability and efficacy of menstrual cup in managing menstrual health and hygiene. International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6(7), 3045–3053.
Kuhlmann, Henry, & Wall. (2017). Menstrual Hygiene Management in Resource-Poor Countries. Obstetrical & Gynecological Survey, 72(6), 356.
Li, Ju, Jiang, Chen, & Wu. (2017). Menstrual pattern after abdominal radical trachelectomy. Oncotarget, 8(32). https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.17943
Mimura, Kawano, Nakaaki, Suzuki, Kamikawa, & Yada. (2011). Mental and physiological responses to degree of comfort in using sanitary napkins (Part 2) [in Japanese]. Japanese Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 16(1), 1–7.
Moos. (1986). The development of a menstrual distress questionnaire. Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, 30(6), 853–867.
Netresearch DIMSDRIVE. (2021). Netresearch DIMSDRIVE: Survey on sanitary products: Accessed on 2021/10/08. https://www.dims.ne.jp/timelyresearch/2013/131129/
Shihata, & Brody. (2019). Five year study of a unique, eco-friendly, menstrual cup that enhances the quality of women’s lives during menstruation. Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 7(6), 161–165.
Shwetha, & Amritha. (2020). Menstrual cup; awareness among reproductive women. International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 9(4), 1382–1388.
Stewart, Greer, & Powell. (2010). Women’s experience of using the Moon cup. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 30(3), 285–287.
Tabuchi Y, Yoshidome A, Ban N, K. T. (2014). Research on the amount of menstrual blood loss and menstrual symptoms. Nursing Research, 47(3), 248–255.
Tokita, Shimabukuro, & Takahashi. (2009). The influence of stress coping style and lifestyle upon symptoms of menstrual syndrome among female student nurses in their nursing activities. Maternal Health, 50(1), 71–78.
UNICEF. (2019). Guidance on menstrual health and hygiene. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/documents/guidance-menstrual-health-and-hygiene
VanEijk, Zulaika, Lenchner, Mason, Muthusamy, Nyothach, Unger, Laserson, & (2019)., P.-H. (2019). Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability; a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health, 4(8), 376–e393.
Varghese, Ravichandran, & Anandhan. (2015). Knowledge and Practice of Menstrual hygiene among Adolescent girls. Ind J Youth Adol Health, 2(3).
Weir. (2015). The Red: A private economic cost and qualitative analysis of environmental and health implications for five menstrual products. Environmental Science and gender and women Studies [Thesis] supervised by Tarah Wright, Environmental Studies, and Peter Tyedme.