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Howard G. Smith, M.D. is a former radio medical editor and talk show host in the Boston Metro area. His "Medical Minute" of health and wellness news and commentary was a regular weekday feature on WBZ-AM, WRKO-AM, and WMRE-AM. His popular two-way talk show, Dr. Howard Smith OnCall, was regularly heard Sunday morning and middays on WBZ.

Dr. Smith has adopted audio and video podcasting as conduits for HEALTH NEWS YOU SHOULD USE. Based on the latest medical, health, and wellness literature these reports provide practical information you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy. Many reports have video versions, and Dr. Smith’s YouTube Channel may be found at: http://bit.ly/2rNw6XQ

Trained at Harvard Medical School and a long-time faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital, he practiced Pediatric Otolaryngology for 40 years in Boston, Southern California, and in central Connecticut.  He is now based in New York City.

If you have questions or suggestions about this content, please email the doctor at drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com or leave him a message at 516-778-8864.  His website is: www.drhowardsmith.com.

Please note that the news, views, commentary, and opinions that Dr. Smith provides are for informational purposes only. Any changes that you or members of your family contemplate making to lifestyle, diet, medications, or medical therapy should always be discussed beforehand with personal physicians who have been supervising your care.

Jul 20, 2019

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/Xk6ebT6Hchw

 

Women looking for a cheaper alternative to tampons need look no further than the Menstrual Cup.  Now this is not a new invention and it’s been around since the 1930’s, but a new meta-analysis just published in The Lancet reviewed the experiences of some 3300 women using the cup to determine its utility and safety.

 

The majority of menstrual cups are placed in the vagina to trap and hold menstrual flow.  There is an alternative menstrual disc that fits over the cervix, but it may be more difficult to insert and remove.  Even inserting the vaginal cup takes a little practice, but after 2 cycles it seemed easy to most users. 

 

The study showed that nearly three-quarters of women trying the cups planned to continue their use.  The incidence of leakage and infection was no different than for other menstrual products.  The cup did not damage linings, but there were a few cases of allergy to the cup materials.

 

Multi-use menstrual cups are convenient and cheap.  If you aren’t squeamish about their insertion and if you don’t have an IUD, you might want to explore using the cup on a regular basis.  Costwise, they are 95% cheaper than tampons or pads.

 

Anna Maria van Eijk, PhD, Garazi Zulaika, MPH, Madeline Lenchner, MSc, Linda Mason, PhD
et al. Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability: a systematic review and meta-analysis.  The Lancet Public Health. Published:July 16, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30111-2

 

https://putacupinit.com

 

#Menstrualcap #tampon