Willingness to Use the Menstrual Cup in University Women: Between Environmental Awareness, Education, Activism, Taboo, and Religion

Evangelina Cruz-Barba () and Cynthia Guadalupe Ramirez-Alvarez
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Evangelina Cruz-Barba: University of Guadalajara
Cynthia Guadalupe Ramirez-Alvarez: University of Guadalajara

A chapter in Gender (In)equality and Social Development, 2025, pp 35-48 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Even when many studies have examined the use of the menstrual cup, they mainly focus on taboos. This study examines the willingness to use the menstrual cup in 768 female university students in Mexico. The differences between women using disposable and reusable items for menstruation are analyzed (Student’s t-test and ANOVA). From the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), data are examined by Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). It is revealed that the subjective norm significantly influences the intentions of purchase decisions. It is concluded that menstrual cups are more likely to be used due to environmental activism in social media, knowledge, and environmental awareness. Taboos and the catholic religion limit the willingness to use menstrual cups. The study’s finding shows that the parents’ educational level has no impact on environmental awareness, and the use of the menstrual cup requires a learning process for which education and cultural differences become relevant. Even if large companies don’t advertise eco-friendly alternatives for menstruation, marketers and policymakers need to consider pad's use impact on the environment, mainly in secondary schools, which favors both environmental awareness, body self-knowledge, and women’s autonomy from an early age.

Keywords: University women; Environmental awareness; Menstrual cup; Marketing; Taboo; Religion; Mexico (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-981-96-7979-9_3

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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-96-7979-9_3

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