Are menstrual cups dangerous?
11 March 2020
Are menstrual cups dangerous?
It has been reported that menstrual cups could be causing many women pelvic organ prolapse because of how the cup is removed.
The cups are usually made of rubber or silicone and they can last up to 10 years. They can hold more blood than other methods and are more sustainable than other products such as tampons.
The usage of menstrual cups has increased massively in recent years due to their sustainability and positive environmental impact. Many women are now advocates of the menstrual cup however it has been reported that the cups could actually be damaging user’s pelvic floor muscles.
Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the group of muscles and tissues that normally support the pelvic organs, called the pelvic floor, becomes weakened and cannot hold the organs in place firmly. It causes one or more of the organs to drop down from the normal position and bulge into the vagina. This can be the womb, bowel, bladder or top of the vagina.
Menstrual cups are not currently regulated in the UK and there is no safety testing at all in place.
Pelvic floor physiotherapists have stated that the advice about removing the cup is incorrect and counters the advice women would be given to avoid prolapse. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has called for manufacturers to include better safety advice to help prevent any more woman suffering from these very unpleasant injuries.
Whilst menstrual cups are undoubtedly a good thing for the environment more education is needed before women decide to use them.
If you have experienced any similar complications or suffer pelvic floor problems in general that you feel may have been caused by poor medical advice or treatment, please contact our specialist medical negligence team here at Curtis Law.