(People without periods be warned: things will get a bit graphic)
It’s been five months, but it still feels like some kind of dirty secret. So I’ll come right out and say it: I use a DivaCup. Why? There are many reasons. The deciding factor for me, though, was that I’d be studying abroad for four months. I didn’t want to have to worry about my period while I’m learning about a new culture and about myself. And with my DivaCup, I don’t worry. I don’t have to worry about spending money on pads, or trying to find tampons in a country where they are a rarity. I don’t have to worry about finding a clean bathroom with a trashcan every five or six hours, because I can leave my DivaCup in for up to twelve. Also, as long as it’s inserted correctly, it won’t ever leak. It’s almost like not having my period at all.
Seems too good to be true, right? Honestly, the first time I heard about menstrual cups, I was a bit disgusted. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, a menstrual cup (DivaCup is a brand name; there are others, but that’s the big one) is a medical-grade silicone cup you insert into your vagina to collect menstrual fluid. That means you’re going to be seeing blood, which makes some people uncomfortable, and that’s okay. Advocates for the DivaCup will argue that a cup will help you get to know your own body by seeing how much blood really comes out (it’s not as much as you’d think). For me, it wasn’t about “getting to know my body.” And although I can get behind the idea that menstrual cups help demystify some of the shame surrounding menstruation, I’m not really one to change my lifestyle in order to make a feminist statement. If I don’t shave my legs, it’s out of laziness, not to stick it to the patriarchy. It’s just an added bonus. I like my DivaCup because it makes my life easier.
Be warned, however: there’s a bit of a steep learning curve for insertion, one that I’m just overcoming. It takes some practiced skill to fold and twist in just the right way where it doesn’t hurt too much or leak. But, in my experience, it’s worth it. Personally, I was always put off by tampons because I didn’t like the way they felt going in and coming out. Plus, I’d have to wear some sort of panty liner with them anyway. But for all the perks of using a DivaCup, I’ll put up with the temporary discomfort.
Although it may not be for everyone, it’s worked for me. At the very least, it’s nice to know what options are out there and to be able to talk about menstruation openly. The first time I heard of menstrual cups was only seven months ago, after I’d already had my period for nearly a decade. And now I’m writing about how it’s changed my life.
Editor’s Note: Her Campus Kenyon wants to give a huge thank you to DivaCup and Her Campus National for including a Diva Cup and coupons to buy more in our Back-to-School Survival kit! We are all so excited to try out this product. #HCSurvivalKit #GettingBackGivingBack
Image Credit: Bleeding Feminism, Your Teen Mag