The study has also found menstrual cups to be more leak-proof then pads or tampons, while also lasting for a longer duration.

Ideally, one menstrual cup can last comfortably up to ten years for a woman, thereby drastically bringing down a woman’s average expense on menstrual hygiene. At the same time, it can save the planet from a huge load of trash from pads and tampons, each of which takes up to 500-800 years to decompose.

No Rash – No Trash – No Cash

“No, there is no pain in keeping the cup in your vagina for a long time. True, initially one might feel its presence but after using it a few times, it almost becomes a part of your body,” reveals Dr Meenakshi Ramoo Bharath, a veteran gynaecologist from Bengaluru, who pioneered the Green The Red campaign for menstrual hygiene.

Since the cup is not absorbing the blood like tampons or pads, it prevents any foul smell which occurs due to chemical reactions with the superabsorbents. Also, it prevents any sort of rash or irritation arising from excess chemicals in the pads. “It is the No Rash – No Trash – No Cash way of maintaining menstrual hygiene,” she remarks.

“For the past four years, we have been advocating the use of menstrual cups to all women. Finally, this Lancet report is going to give the concept the credibility it long needed,” she asserts.

Global Experts Appreciate The Study

Recently, quite a number of non-profit foundations across the world have started distributing menstrual cups among women in marginalised communities with limited access to menstrual hygiene products. For them, menstrual cups are way cheaper and easier to use than primitive options like rags or even hay and charcoal.

Though some communities still continue to view menstrual cups as a cultural violation for young women due to its penetrative usage, experts feel that the Lancet study can put their debates to rest.

In a conversation with The Hindu, Dr Penelope Philips-Howard from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine lauded this study as a trailblazer. She mentioned that at a time when 1.9 billion women are menstruating around the globe, such a detailed, comparative analysis of all menstrual hygiene products was the need of the hour.

This comprehensive report published in an esteemed medical journal like The Lancet is ought to give menstrual cup the limelight it truly deserves. If you are yet to make the bold switch from the itchy, chemical-laden napkins, now you have no more reason to hesitate.