Why You Should Consider Using a Menstrual Cup
I know, some of you may think ‘bloody hell’ – quite literally. But let me try and convince you!
- Tampons are expensive. This calculation is taken from The Huffington Post and is, of course, an average: 1 tampon every 6 hours = 4 tampons per day x 5 days of a period = 20 tampons per cycle x 456 periods = 9,120 tampons. At 36 tampons per box, that’s 253.3 boxes x $7 = $1,773.33 (£1,322.11)!
Give or take, but the bottom line is, tampons are expensive considering how many years you’ll have them for! A menstrual cup costs around £20 and lasts you for up to 10 years. I don’t think we’ll need any calculations for that one…
- You don’t need to change it as often. Depending on how heavy your flow is, you can go up to 12 hours before you have to change it. This is a true saviour if you’re out and about during the day! And even if you have a heavy flow, it still takes more fluid than a tampon.
- Ditch the chemicals. I’m sure you know that tampons contain bleached rayon, which creates the possibly carcinogenic by-product dioxin. Menstrual pads as well, but they are of course less invasive.
- It’s odour free. The fluid isn’t exposed to oxygen as it is with tampons and pads, so you never have to worry about any odours.
- No first/last day leakage. If you don’t know if you’re on your last day or not (or if you’re expecting your period that day) and don’t know if you’ll have much of a flow, it is perfectly safe and comfortable to use a menstrual cup. It won’t mess with your pH or natural environment like tampons might do and it’s more comfortable than using pads or panty-liners.
- You can have it in overnight. Again, no need to worry about any bacterial diseases and it holds more so it won’t leak as long as it’s been inserted the right way.
- Less landfill waste. Since the cups are reusable and last you years, they won’t clog up our landfills and also less trees will be used to create paper-based alternatives.
People often ask if it’s possible to change their cup in a public restroom, and it is. But during my years of using the cup I have never had to. To those of you who think it’s gross – it really isn’t that bad, at least I don’t think it’s more gross than collecting blood in a cotton pad/tampon that then will be stored at a landfill (yuck).
But remember, it’s really important to keep it clean! You either boil it between periods or keep it clean using antibacterial soaps. And remember, practice makes perfect – it may not be your best friend the first couple of times – use it together with panty-liners if you’re scared it might leak. When it’s inserted properly and is kept in place by suction, you won’t feel it at all and it won’t leak. It’s worth the initial learning period (pun not intended), promise.
Cost calculation: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/period-cost-lifetime_n_7258780
image: https://www.bellybelly.com.au/health-lifestyle/menstrual-cup/