What socio-demographic factors support disposable vs. sustainable menstrual choices? Evidence from India’s National Family Health Survey-5

Abstract

For over a decade, improving menstrual hygiene among poor girls and women in low-and-middle-income-countries has been a prominent global goal. Towards this, governments in the Global South have worked to promote the uptake of disposable sanitary pads. Despite this, we continue to see a high prevalence of period poverty mainly because disposable pads require monthly purchasing that may be burdensome for many women. Not only are pads financially unsustainable but also represent a heavy environmental burden which has kindled an interest in re-usable innovations like menstrual cups that present a sustainable solution. However, there is little understanding of factors that promote the take-up of disposable vs. sustainable products at population levels. In this paper, we draw on India’s National Family Health Survey-5 to understand the socio-demographic determinants of period product usage among girls and women, differentiated by their sustainability quotient. Our findings suggest that awareness of sustainable products and cultural factors are the key driver to promote their use. Women with exposure to menstrual cups either via education or mass media were more likely to use them. Belonging to urban areas and to disadvantaged social categories are other driving factors, at least partly because taboos of vaginal insertion are less of a concern among these groups. These findings suggest that improving the uptake of menstrual cups requires a paradigm shift in menstrual health policies from the promotion of disposable pads alone to spreading awareness of sustainable period choices among women via innovative use of mass media and community networks. Some micro-level evidence of change supports our conclusions.

Exploring Menstrual Hygiene Practices and Awareness of Menstrual Cups Among Nursing Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Survey

“…According to a study by Babbar et al, several sociodemographic factors influence the use of modern menstrual products, such as menstrual cups and tampons. These factors include the level of education, place of residence (urban or rural), family income, socioeconomic status, freedom of movement, access to basic handwashing and sanitation facilities, access to toilets, social taboos against vaginal insertion, exposure to media, and use of mobile phones [ 9 ].…”

Data_Sheet_1.XLSX

“…Since psychological hesitation and apprehension about the initial use of MCs are key among Japanese consumers, as found in our study, which is also in line with a previous study (Itaya et al, 2022), KOLs can play a critical role in demystifying MCs and addressing common concerns through trusted endorsements. In line with this, recent studies have shown that education and mass media exposure significantly increase the likelihood of adopting menstrual cups (Babbar and Garikipati, 2023;Balkan and Koyucu, 2024). Furthermore, educating about menstrual cups aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 by reducing the stigma around menstruation and fostering a more inclusive and equal society.…”

“…According to previous research, a woman uses an average of 10,000 sanitary napkins and 15,000 tampons on average during their lifetime (Bharadwaj and Patkar, 2004;Garg et al, 2011). Moreover, advertised menstrual products such as tampons or sanitary pads are estimated to take approximately 500-800 years to decompose, constituting a staggering burden on the environment (Sathishkumar et al, 2019;Peter and Abhitha, 2021;Babbar and Garikipati, 2023;Khorsand et al, 2023). In addition to ecological predicaments, each sanitary napkin emits 2-3.7 g of non-biodegradable plastic, and given the prevalence of plastic in these products, their complete biodegradation remains elusive (Ando et al, 2023;Kumari and Muneshwar, 2023).…”

“…Although previous studies have identified factors that influence the selection of menstrual products, including a sustainable choice such as MCs, limited studies have examined how consumers incorporate these factors into their purchasing decision processes (Babbar and Garikipati, 2023). Listing barriers is insufficient to understand consumer decisions and develop effective promotional strategies for adopting MC.…”