“The Disc Will Always Win!”: Qualitative Pilot Study Findings on the Acceptability of Reusable Menstrual Products Among College Students on a U.S. Campus

PurposeInterest in reusable menstrual products has expanded substantially over the last decade. However, there is limited published research on user experiences with these products in terms of their effectiveness in menstrual management. We assessed the acceptability of, and user experiences with, the menstrual disc-one of the newest types of reusable products-in terms of ease/difficulty of use (i.e., insertion, removal), leakages and overall comfort.Design/ApproachWe conducted a qualitative pilot study and provided students with menstrual discs to use over two menstrual cycles.SettingThe study was conducted on a mid-sized college campus in Massachusetts, U.S.ParticipantsWe recruited fourteen students who menstruate.MethodStudents completed two diary entries-one per menstrual cycle-about their experiences using the menstrual disc.ResultsThe menstrual disc was well received overall, and most students liked the long wear time, fewer changes required and the ability of the disc to self-empty. Although many students struggled with insertion initially, this improved with subsequent uses. Students noted that removal was easy but messy, which made changing in public bathrooms difficult. A few experienced major leakages when the disc became overfull. Almost all expressed willingness to use the disc as their main menstrual product.ConclusionThe menstrual disc potentially expands the range of more comfortable and convenient reusable menstrual products and should be included in reproductive health education.