TGA and Menstrual Cups in Australia
The Therapeutic Goods Administration – the TGA – is the governing body for Australia that has a similar role to the FDA in the USA. Menstrual cups are regulated by the TGA, and must be registered before they can legally be sold in Australia (the same way cups must be registered with the FDA to be legally sold in or to the USA)
“Menstrual cups are therapeutic devices and need to be included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) before being sold in Australia. The TGA regulates menstrual cups as ‘Other Therapeutic Goods’.”
Cups that are purchased from overseas sources for your own personal use, do not need to be registered with the TGA, as it is legal to import an unregistered item (that is not prohibited) for your own use. However it is not legal to sell a menstrual cup in Australia unless it is registered with the TGA.
As of 13th Sept 2016 – the following are the only menstrual cups that appear under a search for “menstrual cups” on the ARTG:
- Diva Cup (ARTG ID: 173694)
- Juju (ARTG ID: 180153)
- Keeper (ARTG ID: 68249)
- Lunette (ARTG ID: 157084)
About
A menstrual cup is form of reusable menstrual protection. It is inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual fluids. Once in place it forms a seal, preventing blood flowing out of the vagina by collecting it in its “cup” shaped reservoir. Unlike a tampon which absorbs the blood along with the vagina’s natural secretions, a menstrual cup simply holds the fluids until you remove it – so they do not dry out the vagina and do not hold the TSS risk that tampons do.
They hold around 20-30ml, which is for most women will cope with a full day without emptying, and at most perhaps you would need to empty it a few times a day for a very heavy flow. A menstrual cup will last (with proper care) for around 10 years, perhaps longer, so while the initial outlay is high, it pays for itself with savings pretty quick.
This is a sister site to www.clothpads.org. For information on cloth pads, please check that website.
This blog is a place to find information about the different cup brands I know about. All the brands I am aware of, are listed in the menu – Clicking on these brand-name links will take you to a page of information I have about them.
Menstrual Cups 