The use of menstrual cups might be associated with IUD expulsion, an Australian chart review suggests.

Menstrual cups are becoming increasingly popular in Australia because of their reduced environmental impact, financial benefits and convenience, Dr Matilda-Jane Oke from Sexual Health Quarters in Perth told delegates at the RACGP conference (GP20).

“We became interested in menstrual cups because clinic staff reported an anecdotal increase in IUD expulsion following concurrent menstrual cup use,” she said in the online presentation earlier this week.

“There were two mechanisms posited; one was that menstrual cup removal may catch the IUD strings and the second was the menstrual cup removal may apply a negative pressure to the cervix which would dislodge the IUD.”