Menstrual Cups

Why you can't buy a Menstrual Cup in Australia

Ok.. well you can... but you probably won't find one in your local healthfood store or chemist. and I've seen it asked before, so I thought I'd put the reason why here, and maybe a way to remedy that....

Currently, Menstrual Cups are regarded by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) as a "Medical Device", so they are regulated under the Therapeutic Goods Act. Which means that they need to be approved for use in Australia before they can be allowed to be sold here.

What exactly that entails I do not know (I don't know if the company had to pay for testing or not for example). The Keeper (Rubber version) is as far as I know, the only menstrual cup approved for sale in Australia at the moment. I do not know if the silicone version has been approved or not, I have seen it for sale, but that means nothing as I've seen the Mooncup and Diva being sold here too....

The fact that they are considered to be a medical device is unfair in my opinion. The definition in the act does not cover a device such as this.

Their act defines a medical device as:

"preventing, diagnosing, curing or alleviating a disease, ailment, defect or injury in persons or animals; or" - But menstruation is not a disease, ailment, defect or injury.... and the cups don't prevent menstruation, nor do they alleviate it)
"influencing, inhibiting or modifying a physiological process in persons or animals; or" - Cups don't influence, inhibit or modify the flow, they simply hold it.
"the replacement or modification of parts of the anatomy in persons or animals." They don't modify the anatomy...

Always one for arguing the point ;) I called the TGA to ask what the stance was on buying cups overseas, and why they were considered a medical device. I was told that basically they can just decide something is a medical device, even if their own definition would not include them as one.

I've been told by someone else, that it's the responsibility of the distributors who want to sell the product, to go through the approval process, but that its very expensive. So there being no distributor here in Aus willing to distribute and fund the approval process is probably why the other cups aren't yet available for sale.... and because Australia is so "Small', we may never get them here.

So what can we do about it? Well contrary to what I was told by the TGA representative I called, it is legal for you to buy an unapproved menstrual cup from overseas for your personal use. Its not difficult.... not really any more difficult than buying online from an Australian stockist.

Most international online stores will sell internationally. I purchased my Lunette from Kuukuppiwithout any hassles, others I know have purchased a Diva Cup from Happy Nursery. The closest place to purchase a cup from for us Aussies would be the Mooncup (UK) from Green Beans or Red Rag. The worst part about International purchasing is the exchange rate, so buying from NZ may also work out to be cheapest, as their dollar is closest to ours (and conversion works in our favour).... however still with this more expensive price your cup should be well worth it.

I don't know if writing to the cup makers and begging them to be approved for sale in Aus, but I'm sure it can't hurt, and it would at least show them there is demand in Aus!

Writing to the TGA to get them to change their stance will probably do no good either, but you never know...I'm in the middle of writing a letter.....which i'll hopefully finish one day......