Disclaimer- I will intentionality not be using the label of woman, female, or girl in this article. Not everyone who menstruates identifies as a woman and not everyone who identifies as a woman menstruates.
On average, people with uteruses menstruate for 6.25 years of their lives. For many people, including myself, the first two days of my period cause me an incredible amount of pain. For two days a month I feel too sick to even get out of bed. Considering the audience of this article, I’m assuming this doesn’t come as Earth shattering. But for anyone who hasn’t experienced menstrual pain, it’s no joke. I’m very privileged in that I have always been able to afford tampons, pads, Midol, and (thanks to President Obama) birth control.
Being of reproductive age (13-51) with a uterus costs around $4,496 thanks to tampons, pads, and new underwear due to stains. After 6.5 years of menstruating, I finally found a cost-effective way to take care of all the above for $80… THE DIVA CUP! I promise I don’t own stock in Diva Cups (although maybe I should). This article is coming straight from my own experience and research.
Not only is the Diva Cup substantially less expensive than pads and tampons, it also is much more environmentally friendly. You only need to buy two in your entire menstrual life. One before you’re 30 or have a baby and a slightly larger one after because of the loosening of your vaginal wall muscles. I haven’t leaked with the Diva Cup, though thatis purely person to person,. Plus it stays in for 12 hours at a time. You’re saving time, money and the environment it doesn’t’t get better than that!
Besides my cramps, having my period has never been easier. It takes a lot of stress out of the experience when you don’t have to worry about whether you have enough tampons or pads to last the day.
Now that being said, not everyone has had the same positive experience with Diva Cups—so make sure you do your own independent research and trial!
Overall, imagine if we invested in these young kids by provided them with an easier solution to the ever rising ‘pink tax.’ Too many people go without tampons and pads. They’re forced to stay home from school or work a couple days a month. That time adds up but, thanks to the Diva Cup, that time has the opportunity to be reclaimed. My Diva Cup paid for itself in 3 cycles. With the money and time I’m saving I have a bit more mental and financial freedom.