Hello, fellow vagina-bearers! Let get personal and talk about our time of the month. Personally, I hate it and have never met anyone who enjoys theirs. I’ve always been interested in menstrual management products and making my life a bit easier. So, when I heard about the Diva Cup I really wanted to try it. Now, you may be asking, what exactly is a Diva Cup? Well friend, it’s a menstrual cup which is exactly what it sounds like.
First and foremost, let’s get some questions you may or may not have out of the way.
Does it smell?
-No it doesn’t smell.
Can I have sex with it in?
-You cannot have vaginal sex with this in as doesn’t go all the way up but you can do other body functions with it in.
What if I lose it up there?
-If you manage to get it lost in your vagina, your vagina is actually a blackhole.
I have a latex allergy. Can I use it?
-For those of you with a latex allergy, according to their website the Diva Cup is suitable for you to use! Though if you have sensitivity to silicone, you shouldn’t use it.
They come in two different sizes in this particular brand. I’m using the first size which is for women under the age of thirty and/or has never given birth. The second size is for those who’ve had at least one kid (c-section or vaginally) and/or over the age of thirty. If you have any special medical circumstances, you should talk to your doctor before trying this.
It came into my posseion half way through a period and I ran off to put it in. At first I was really intimated but after a period and a half, I’m comfortable enough to give it a review.
Cons
– It’s intimidating. It’s literally a rubber bell shaped cup that does not look like it’s supposed to go up there. So figuring out the placement at first and how exactly to bend it was difficult and could be slightly uncomfortable. I felt like a fourteen year old trying to figure out tampons for the first time with only the instruction booklet to help me.
-It can be considered little gross. As I’ve said before, it is a cup. A cup that’s sole purpose is to collect the blood. So taking it out is gross but not as gross as it could be. That being said, you have to dump the blood out. I’ve found I need to flush a couple times just to make sure all the blood’s gone from the toilet bowl. That is something that I personally can get over but maybe you can’t and that’s totally fine.
-It can move. Sometimes when I insert it, it can fall a bit. Never enough to fall out but just enough so sometimes I have to go and re-adjust it. That’s not too bad though and it gets better with practice.
Pros
-It’s reusable. The Diva Cup is reusable and all you have to do is wash it with non-scented soap and you’re good to go. So it’s better on the environment and your wallet. Wash it as often as you see fit, but at least two times a day.
–Zero to minimum leakage. It can hold a lot of blood so even on your heavy days, it’s not going to overflow. I only had one leak and I’m pretty sure that’s because I didn’t put it in right. I recommend using a pad with the Diva Cup until you’re totally comfortable using it.
-It lasts a long time. The website says it can stay in there a maximum of twelve hours and I found that to be the case. It’s nice to not have to worry about changing it every couple hours.
-It’s comfortable. It was a little awkward the first couple times using it but after getting use to it and honing my technique, I find it’s better than a tampon. It may take a bit of time but with practice, time, and patience, it was almost like it wasn’t there.
To me, the good outweighs the bad. Whatever reservations I had prior to using it I got over really quickly. If you’re interested, you should give it a shot but if you don’t that’s also totally fine. There’s no harm in giving it a shot and who knows, it might make your period easier.