Everything You Need to Know About Menstrual Cups
When I first purchased my Diva Cup, I have to admit, it was not love at first use. It took a couple tries to figure out how to use it right, how to not have leaks, how often I should be changing it depending on my cycle, etc. Honestly, at first I didn’t think it was the right product for me.
Several years later and I’m not joking when I say this: purchasing a menstrual cup has changed my life for the better. Dramatic claim, I know, but since I started loving mine I’ve been trying to convince all my friends to buy one too. A lot of the time when I tell people how much I love it, I’m met with skepticism and a lot of questions.
I understand why people have reservations. Menstrual cups look big, uncomfortable and messy. I promise you they are none of those things.
A few of the menstruating people in my life who have their own hesitations towards trying menstrual cups have all had pretty similar questions, so I thought I’d address those concerns and set the record straight.
Is using a menstrual cup uncomfortable?
NO. You’d think that it would be just looking at them. They certainly do have a lot more bulk than a tampon. Learning to properly insert a menstrual cup is a process and willdefinitely take some getting used to, but once you have the hang of it, you honestly forget it’s even there.
How long can I leave it in?
You can actually wear a menstrual cup for up to twelve hours. That’s longer than a tampon AND, unlike tampons, you can safely wear them to bed. You pretty much just take it out, dump it, and rinse it every couple hours depending on how heavy your flow is.
Isn’t it messy?
While I do admit that trying out a menstrual cup does come with a little “ick factor” at first, it’s something you get used to pretty quickly. If you’re not a fan of seeing your own blood—which, as a menstruating person, is kind of a given anyways—this might not be the product for you. It does take more maintenance than the disposable pads or tampons as you have to rinse it between uses and clean it between cycles, but it’s easy to do and becomes habit fast enough.
Aren’t they expensive?
Menstrual cups typically cost about $40, which may seem steep until you remember that it is a one-time purchase. As a formerly broke student (and now just a broke adult), I worry enough about saving money grocery shopping without the added cost of tampons or pads. Not to brag, but I haven’t had to worry about running out of either of those for almost four years now. It’s very freeing.
Those are some of the burning questions I find people have about menstrual cups, but having used it for almost five years now, there are some other things I’ve grown to love about using it.
I really like that it reduces the amount of waste I make and that it’s made of silicone. Most tampons and pads contain bleach and other chemicals that probably shouldn’t be in your body in the first place, but can also mess with your natural bacteria and pH levels.
Using a menstrual cup kind of made me like my period more. I’m not saying I’m one of those girls in tampon commercials, twirling around in a field of flowers with a big grin on her face—because let’s face it, none of us are those girls—but I do honestly find my period to be way less of a hassle. All in all, it is definitely worth a try!
