Menstrual Cup - Safety

Safety

Menstrual cups are safe when used as directed and no health risks related to their use have been found. One case report in the journal Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation noted that menstrual cups could theoretically increase the likelihood of endometriosis and adenomyosis and described one woman who developed the disorders after use of a menstrual cup. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to remove menstrual cups from the market, saying that there was insufficient evidence that the risk was more than merely theoretical. A 2011 randomized controlled trial in Canada measured urovaginal infection in a comparison of menstrual cup and tampon use, and found no significant difference in physician-diagnosed urovaginal symptoms between the 2 groups. The Journal of Women's Health has published a clinical study demonstrating the acceptability and safety of the Instead Softcup in both clinical and pre-clinical testing. Generally, menstrual cups do not significantly affect the population of vaginal flora, including the bacteria responsible for bacterial vaginosis (including yeast infections) or urinary tract infections. Some women opt for a menstrual cup because it does not absorb natural vaginal secretions as a tampon or sponge would. There have been no reported cases of toxic shock syndrome occurring with the use of menstrual cups.