The Use of Menstrual Cups in the Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management of Women Who Use Wheelchairs

Hülya ULAŞLI KABAN

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Disabled People; Menstrual Cup; Menstrual Hygiene Management

Treatments: Other: Educational and practical intervention on menstrual cup use

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07137663

2025/343

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study is designed to evaluate the impact of menstrual cup use on menstrual health and hygiene management among women who use wheelchairs.In addition, the study will serve as a reference for future research that includes other groups of people with disabilities and will contribute to the literature. The main questions it aims to answer are:

How does menstrual cup use affect the menstrual hygiene management experiences of women who use wheelchairs?

What impact does menstrual cup use have on women's comfort, perception of hygiene, and participation in social life?

Do women's knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction levels regarding menstrual cup use change over time?

Why do women who use wheelchairs choose to use or not to use menstrual cups? This quasi-experimental study will use a repeated measures design (within-subjects design). Participants included in the study will be scheduled for an appointment to receive training on menstrual cup use and to be provided with a menstrual cup. The training will be conducted face-to-face in the education room of the relevant association. During this session, the participant will first respond to the initial part of the questionnaire. Following that, she will receive training on menstrual cup use (supported by video, models, etc.), and based on the information obtained, a menstrual cup in a suitable size will be provided. The menstrual cups to be used by the participants will be supplied by the researcher.

After the initial meeting, six follow-up interviews will be conducted following the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th menstrual periods. In each session, participants will be asked to complete a follow-up-specific questionnaire, and any questions they have will be answered. Their use of the menstrual cup will be assessed during each follow-up. If a participant is not using the cup, the reasons for non-use will be explored, and if desired, the training will be repeated or individual counseling will be provided. If the participant refuses counseling or states that she no longer wishes to use the cup, she will be withdrawn from the study. If a participant drops out during the first three follow-ups, a new participant will be recruited to replace her.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 15 to 49 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Having previously used a method other than a menstrual cup during menstruation,
• Being between 18 and 45 years of age,
• Having a regular menstrual cycle between 21-35 days,
• Not having a diagnosed and treated sexually transmitted infection,
• Not having a silicone allergy,
• Not having a known vaginal anatomical defect,
• Being able to actively use both arms and hands.

Exclusion criteria

• Planning to become pregnant,
• Having had a urogenital tract infection in the past 3 months (based on self-report),
• Having known conditions such as fibroids, endometritis, gynecological disorders, renal colic, or hydronephrosis.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

30 participants in 1 patient group

Study group (Mentrual Cup Group)

Experimental group

Description:

This is a single-arm study. All participants will receive a structured educational session on menstrual cup use, including hygiene, insertion and removal techniques, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Following the training, each participant will be provided with one menstrual cup for personal use. Participants will be instructed to use the cup over the course of six consecutive menstrual cycles. User satisfaction and experiences with the menstrual cup will be monitored and assessed through follow-up questionnaires at regular intervals throughout the study period. There is no control or comparator arm in this study.The study, which was semi-experimental in nature, used a repeated measures design (within-subjects design). In this type of experimental design, the participants included in the study participate in all experimental conditions. Therefore, the participants form their own control group, which increases the sensitivity of the experiment. The difference between the measurements

Treatment:

Other: Educational and practical intervention on menstrual cup use