This study explores undergraduate students' knowledge, awareness, and practices toward menstrual cups, highlighting key factors influencing their adoption and continued use. Despite growing awareness, sustained usage remains low due to significant barriers, including concerns about comfort, safety and insufficient information. Utilizing a survey approach, this study examines the motivations and challenges associated with menstrual cup adoption, as well as the role of different information sources. The study underscores the importance of menstrual health education, considering variables like environmental impact awareness and economic factors. Understanding university students' perspectives on menstrual cups is crucial for designing effective education programs. The discussion section critically examines safety concerns and the impact of awareness campaigns. It emphasizes the necessity of targeted educational initiatives to address knowledge gaps and promote positive discussions around menstrual cups. The study concludes by discussing the implications of encouraging sustainable menstrual hygiene practices and empowering the younger generation to make informed choices for their well-being and the environment.

References

Abdullah @ Abdul Aziz, N. F., Tumiran, M. A., Opir, H. & Md Soh, N. S. (2024). Islamic menstrual education in Malaysian primary school: A review of prospects and challenges. Journal of Islamic, Social, Economics and Development (JISED), 9(65), 438 - 456.

Anjana, V. M., Jissa, V. T., & Mini, G. K. (2024). Knowledge, use and acceptability of menstrual cup: an explorative study among women health professionals in Kerala, India. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 11(4), 1593–1602. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20240896

Babagoli, M., Benshaul-Tolonen, A., Zulaika, G., Nyothach, E., Oduor, C., Obor, D., ... & Phillips‐Howard, P. A. (2020). The Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effectiveness of Providing Menstrual Cups and Sanitary Pads to Schoolgirls in Rural Kenya. Columbia Center for Development Economics and Policy, Working Paper, 87.

Beatriz Cassolatti Gracioli, Alice, M., Sena, J., Júlia Abbade Tronco, De, M., Cosi, F., Andréa Rocha Tristão, Duarte, C., Silva, & Ribeiro, B. (2023). The use of menstrual cups is associated with the maintenance of healthy vaginal microbiota: A prospective longitudinal study. Placenta and Reproductive Medicine, 2.

Beksinska, M. E., Smit, J., Greener, R., Todd, C. S., Lee, M. L. T., Maphumulo, V., & Hoffmann, V. (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. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2014.5021

Bell, J. (2017, November 17). What advertising teaches us about periods. Retrieved on 27 January 2025 from: https://helloclue.com/articles/culture/what-advertising-teaches-us-about-periods.

Borowski, A. M. (2011). Are American Women Turning to Reusable and Greener Menstrual Products Due To Health And Environmental Pollution Concerns? Rochester Institute of Technology.

Bolu-Steve, F. N., Omotayo, M. O., Adegoke, A. A., & Awoyemi, A. O. (2022). Influence of Social Media on In-school Adolescents' Morals: Implication for School Counsellors. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 19(7), 161-170.

Carpenter, E. J., & Smith, K. L., Jr. (1972). Plastics on the sargasso sea surface. Science, 175(4027), 1240–1241.

Chopik, W. J., Bremner, R. H., Johnson, D. J., & Giasson, H. L. (2018). Age differences in age perceptions and developmental transitions. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 67.

Davidson, A. (2012). Narratives of menstrual product consumption: Convenience, culture, or commoditization? Bulletin of Science, Technology amp; Society, 32(1), 56–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/0270467612444579

Del Saz-Rubio, M. M., & Pennock-Speck, B. (2009). Constructing female identities through feminine hygiene tv commercials [Complaining in Interaction]. Journal of Pragmatics, 41(12), 2535–2556. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2009.04.005

DeLong-Bas, N. J. (2022). The Qur'an: Ritual, Practice, Embodiment, and Culture. In Routledge Handbook of Islamic Ritual and Practice (pp. 13-37). Routledge.

Destiana, I., & Salman, A. (2015). The acceptance, usage and impact of social media among university students. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 10(1), 58.

Devan, G. M. S., Mohanan, G., Ajitha, G. K., Kavitha, H., Majeed, I., & Nair, A. N. K. (2022). Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding menstrual cup among females in an urban setting of South Kerala. Journal of Family & Reproductive Health, 16(4), 243.

Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American journal of theoretical and applied statistics, 5(1), 1-4.

Ganz, C., Lever, E., Bredenkamp, J., Mponda, L., Ramaru, T., Mazonde, W., Chuene, S., & Mbodi, L. (2022). The understanding and perception of the menstrual cup among medical students. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India, 72(5), 439–445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13224-022-01661-8

Hait, A., & Powers, S. E. (2019). The value of reusable feminine hygiene products evaluated by comparative environmental life cycle assessment. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 150, 104422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104422

Hennegan, J., Orozco, A., Head, A., Marino, J. L., Jayasinghe, Y., & Lim, M. S. (2024). Menstrual cup acceptability and functionality in real‐world use: A cross‐sectional survey of young people in Australia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Jamkhandi, S. S., & Tile, R. (2024). Awareness, Acceptability, and Feasibility of the Menstrual Cup: A Descriptive Study. Journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 16(4), 346-349.

Joshi, S. (2022). Chhaupadi practice in Nepal: a literature review. World Medical & Health Policy, 14(1), 121-137.

Karupiah, P., & Fernandez, J. L. (Eds.). (2022). A Kaleidoscope of Malaysian Indian Women’s Lived Experiences: Gender‐Ethnic Intersectionality and Cultural Socialisation. Springer Nature.

Kaur, R., Kaur, K., & Kaur, R. (2018). Menstrual Hygiene, Management, and Waste Disposal: Practices and Challenges Faced by Girls/Women of Developing Countries. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018(1730964), 1–9.

Lim, S. C., Yap, Y. C., Barmania, S., Govender, V., Danhoundo, G., & Remme, M. (2020). Priority-setting to integrate sexual and reproductive health into universal health coverage: the case of Malaysia. Sexual and reproductive health matters, 28(2), 1842153.

Madziyire, M. G., Magure, T. M., & Madziwa, C. F. (2018). Menstrual cups as a menstrual management method for low socioeconomic status women and girls in Zimbabwe: A pilot study. Women's Reproductive Health, 5(1), 59-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/23293691.2018.1429371

Manley, H., Hunt, J. A., Santos, L., & Breedon, P. (2021). Comparison between menstrual cups: first step to categorization and improved safety. Women's Health, 17, 17455065211058553.

Metusela, C., Ussher, J., Perz, J., Hawkey, A., Morrow, M., Narchal, R., Estoesta, J., & Monteiro, M. (2017). “In my culture, we don’t know anything about that”: Sexual and reproductive health of migrant and refugee women. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 24, 836–845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-017-9672-6

Mpondo, F., Ruiter, R. A., Schaafsma, D., Van den Borne, B., & Reddy, P. S. (2018). Understanding the role played by parents, culture and the school curriculum in socializing young women on sexual health issues in rural South African communities. SAHARA-J: Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS, 15(1), 42-49.

Naz, S., Chatha, A. M. M., Bhat, R., Javad, S., Sattar, S. A., Shaikh, F., Samarh, M., Abhai, U. E., Shakeel, R., Iqbal, S., & Nawaz, A. (2022). A systematic review of the literature on the toxicity caused by diapers and pads. BioScientific Review (BSR), 4(1). https://doi.org/10.32350/bsr.0401.02

Peberdy, E., Jones, A., & Green, D. (2019). A study into public awareness of the environmental impact of menstrual products and product choice. Sustainability, 11(2), 473.

Pednekar, S., Some, S., Rivankar, K. et al. Enabling factors for sustainable menstrual hygiene management practices: a rapid review. Discov Sustain 3, 28(2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-022-00097-4

Rahman, P. A., Dahlan, A., Azman, N., & Selamat, S. (2023). Navigating Puberty with Special Needs Teenagers: Empowering Parents Through a Sexuality Education Workshop. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 20(4).

Ramsay, C., Hennegan, J., Douglass, C. H., Eddy, S., Head, A., & Lim, M. S. (2023). Reusable period products: use and perceptions among young people in Victoria, Australia. BMC Women's Health, 23(1), 102.

Randor, A. (2017, November, 11). “we’re having a menstrual liberation”: How periods got woke. Retrieved on 27 January 2025 from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/11/periods-menstruation-liberation- women-activists-abigail-radnor

Rosewarne, L. (2012, June). Periods in pop culture. Lexington Books.

Seyed Hosseini, A. S. (2020). Unpreparedness, impurity and paradoxical feeling: menstruation narratives of Iranian women. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 32(6), 20180008.

Shure, N. (2016, July 6). Why has it taken the menstrual cup so long to go mainstream? https://psmag.com/news/why-has-it-taken-the-menstrual-cup-so-long-to-go-mainstream

Singh, R., Agarwal, M., Sinha, S., Chaudhary, N., Sinha, H. H., & Anant, M. (2022). Study of adaptability and efficacy of menstrual cups in managing menstrual health and hygiene: A descriptive longitudinal study. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.29690

Spinks, R. (2015, April 27). Disposable tampons aren’t sustainable, but do women want to talk about it? https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/27/disposable-tampons-arent-sustainable-but-do-women-want-to-talk-about-it

Stella, P. M. (2022). Knowledge regarding menstrual cup among nursing students. Hypothesis, 7(10).

Upashe, S. P., Tekelab, T., & Mekonnen, J. (2015). Assessment of knowledge and practice of menstrual hygiene among high school girls in Western Ethiopia. BMC Women's Health, 15, 1-8.

Van Eijk, A. M., Jayasinghe, N., Zulaika, G., Mason, L., Sivakami, M., Unger, H. W., & Phillips-Howard, P. A. (2021). Exploring menstrual products: A systematic review and meta-analysis of reusable menstrual pads for public health internationally (B. Ravindran, Ed.). PLOS ONE, 16(9), e0257610.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257610

Van Eijk, A. M., Zulaika, G., Lenchner, M., Mason, L., Sivakami, M., Nyothach, E., Unger, H., Laserson, K., & Phillips-Howard, P. A. (2019). Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The lancet public health, 4(8), e376–e393.