Acceptability and feasibility of using vaginal menstrual cups among schoolgirls in rural Nepal: a qualitative pilot study

Autor: Birger C Forsberg, Olivia Biermann, Diksha Pokhrel, Michael von Schickfus, Malin Emgård, Sabina Bhattarai
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Rural Population
Health Knowledge
Attitudes
Practice
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
genetic structures
Menstrual hygiene management
media_common.quotation_subject
Family support
Reproductive medicine
Pilot Projects
lcsh:Gynecology and obstetrics
law.invention
Menstruation
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Nepal
law
Menstrual cup
School-aged girls
Rural Nepal
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Other Health Sciences
Menstrual Hygiene Products
Students
lcsh:RG1-991
reproductive and urinary physiology
media_common
Schools
030219 obstetrics & reproductive medicine
business.industry
Research
Public health
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Hygiene
Focus group
Annan hälsovetenskap
medicine.anatomical_structure
Reproductive Medicine
Feeling
Family medicine
Vagina
Feasibility Studies
Female
business
Zdroj: Reproductive Health
Reproductive Health, Vol 18, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2021)
ISSN: 1742-4755
Popis: Introduction Menstrual hygiene management can be challenging in low-income settings and among school-aged girls due to traditional beliefs, lack of knowledge and information on best hygienic practices, and limited access to appropriate and affordable menstrual hygiene products. An alternative method for menstrual hygiene management, instead of sanitary pads or tampons, is the vaginal menstrual cup. As evidence on the use of menstrual cups is relatively limited, this study aimed to explore the acceptability and feasibility of using vaginal menstrual cups among school-aged girls in Thokarpa, Sindupalchowk, Nepal. Methods This is an exploratory study based on four focus group discussions with a purposive sample of 28 schoolgirls between 13 and 19 years of age who were provided with vaginal menstrual cups in Thokarpa, Sindupalchowk, Nepal. The data were collected between February and March 2019, i.e. approximately three months after the distribution of the menstrual cup. Participants were included in the study if they had started their menstruation and never given birth. Conventional content analysis was applied. Results Most participants perceived the menstrual cup positively. Not missing a single class in school due to problems related to menstrual hygiene management was described as a major benefit. The participants found using the menstrual cup easy and convenient, and described economic and environmental advantages of using it. Cleaning the menstrual cup did not cause any problems, according to the participants. Discomforts mentioned by the participants were: pain when inserting the menstrual cup, feeling the menstrual cup sticking out of the vagina, feeling a constant urge to urinate and leakage. Concerns were related to the size, shape and texture of the menstrual cup, and that it may “get stuck” in the vagina, while relatives were said to be concerned about the use of the menstrual cup leading to reduced fertility or losing virginity. Conclusion The use of vaginal menstrual cups for menstrual hygiene management among schoolgirls in Thokarpa, Sindupalchowk, Nepal, appears feasible and acceptable, as it involves practical, economic and environmental advantages. However, the scale-up of menstrual cups will require resolving described concerns and discomforts and fostering peer and family support.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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