JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Adoption of sustainable menstrual products, like menstrual cups and menstrual panties, is still low in India despite numerous national and state-level menstrual hygiene initiatives. Cultural taboos, lack of awareness, and misinformation pose significant barriers. This study aims to develop and evaluate a community-based intervention led by trained health and education stakeholders to promote the use of these sustainable products among adolescent girls.

Objective:

The specific objectives are: 1. To assess the impact of stakeholder sensitization and training on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding sustainable menstrual hygiene products. 2. To evaluate the effectiveness of stakeholder-led community campaigns in enhancing adolescent girls’ awareness, knowledge, and readiness to adopt MC and MP. 3. To examine the acceptability, challenges, and user experiences of adolescent girls using MC and MP over a defined period. 4. To perform an economic evaluation of MC and MP in terms of cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and affordability.

Methods:

This is a mixed-methods, two-phase interventional feasibility study. The first phase involves educating and empowering female educators and community health workers (ASHAs, ANMs, and AWWs). In phase two, teenage girls are directly engaged through education campaigns and the voluntary distribution of menstrual cups and panties. 40 stakeholders and 912 teenage girls will be recruited from the two study locations (Kalyani and Chandigarh). NVivo and SPSS will be used for data analysis. QALYs (Quality Adjusted Life Years) will be used to estimate cost-effectiveness in an economic evaluation from a societal perspective.

Results:

The project duration is three years, and fund was disbursed in January 2025.The date of project initiation was 09.05.2025. Each center recruited four project staff. Menstrual education module was developed and validated by the experts from Community Medicine, Obstetrics gynecology and Nursing faculty. Permission from local government and education department was received at both the centers, simultaneously procurement of stationery, equipment was initiated. As on March 2026, total 912 participants have been enrolled, 456 each in one center.

Conclusions:

There will be a comprehensive understanding of the acceptability of sustainable menstrual products among adolescent girls. The project will also provide a detailed evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of menstrual cups compared to traditional menstrual hygiene products, potentially influencing future public health policies and practices in menstrual health management. Clinical Trial: NA