The sustainable switch to menstrual cups is part of every sustainable living discourse, but as I flip through television channels, I do not see even one menstrual cup advertisement. If menstrual cups are the sustainable and economical option for a menstruator, why hasn’t this been advertised to me in every type of media that I consume?
The initial reading of the topic brought me obvious answers. Since menstrual cups are a safer and sustainable option, they pose a threat to the sales of sanitary pads. Using a pack of sanitary pads each cycle which could cost anywhere between ₹40-300 against using the same cup every cycle for up to 10 years with a one-time investment of ₹500-800- we all know the clear long term winner here. But is this really the reason menstrual cups are not as widely advertised, sold as over-the-counter products at pharmacies, local chemist shops, or marts?
To begin with, there is no large company manufacturing menstrual cups in India. Almost all the suppliers and makers are startups or small companies. Multinational companies have access to a bigger market and advertising medium. These smaller companies, however, rely heavily on the digital medium to advertise and sell their products. This is probably why you won’t see a menstrual cup advertisement on your television screens but on your Instagram or Facebook feed.
Akarsh Tekriwal, the founder of SafeCup, says, “It takes a lot of time for any product to come offline. Menstrual cups reached India only a couple of years back. Many brands came in. These were mostly startups, some without funding. Since startups have small distribution markets, the sales are largely online.”
He says that it is not because of the profits going down in sanitary pads that have kept bigger brands from introducing the product.
“I think if that brand does not launch it, other brands will cater to the needs of people who want to buy cups. It will be either your brand or someone else’s brand selling the product. When I started out I used to think that too, that because of the sales bigger brands do not want to get into it but big companies like Tampax have launched menstrual cups. Other brands in India are also picking it up.”
He says that it is because of the market size that the product has not gone mainstream. The market size is 1-2% of the population in India. Hence multinationals haven’t dipped their legs into the pool of menstrual cup products since they will require a bigger market size to launch such a product.
Willingness To Use The Cups
Akarsh says that there is enough awareness among menstruators about menstrual cups but that it takes constant reaffirmations and a push for them to make the switch or give it a try. Since cups have to be inserted into the vagina, people are often unsure of trying it.
Then there is the obvious emphasis of the Indian culture on a woman’s virginity and the myth that using a cup would make her lose her virginity. Many menstruators are, therefore, unwilling to use cups.
There is also a difference in the way menstruators get to know about cups. It often reaches them through recommendations from a friend. Reviews, advertisements, and endorsements from friends play a huge role in making the switch. So even if enough women know it, only some of them will actually try a cup.
How Can We Try To Get Cups To The Mainstream?
Akarsh says that governments can play a huge role in helping people make the switch. “There is a huge push towards sanitary pads by the government. If some part of it is used to distribute cups then even with a 30% success rate of people using the cups, a huge problem of sanitary waste disposal, as well as access to menstrual hygiene products, can be solved.”
The government has many policies and drives to provide pads to menstruators across India, but if the government endorses menstrual cups, more people will be willing to make the switch, especially in tier 3 and tier 4 cities along with villages. In 2019, a Kerala Civic Body launched Project Thinkal which aimed to distribute 5000 cups for free with the aim to help women make the switch.
The role of doctors and medical staff can also be great in making this switch. In a lot of places in India, even doctors are not aware of cups or have concerns over infections. The recommendations of doctors, especially gynaecologists, carry a trust factor and are reliable to patients. Hence more women will be willing to try cups and also get the help they require.
Akarsh says that supporting customers is also important. His brand has 12-hour support for their customers where they help them with finding the right size and clearing doubts about the usage regardless of whether the customer is going to buy their cup or not.
“I think this product is not going to just go out of the market the way tampons did. There is a great thrust to the product and also greater willingness to switch, but it will take the next ten to fifteen years for it to have a big enough market“, says Akarsh.
While the switch to a menstrual cup is a safer option, there are other sustainable options for menstruators like cloth pads and even cloth if properly washed. Lastly and most importantly, it is a menstruator’s choice to use whichever product they find the most comfortable.