I tried the “revolutionary” Diva Cup for the first time a few months ago. The Diva Cup is a menstrual cup, worn internally during you period. It is an appealing alternative to tampons, as it only needs to be changed once every twelve hours, so you can sleep with it in. Overall, I am still new to the experience of using this device, but I do like it for the most part, despite the struggles of adjusting to its use. Here is my very honest Diva Cup review…
All the things you should know before trying the Diva Cup:
Read the instructions and safety info before use!
Seriously. It’s important. This isn’t an Apple iPhone ‘Terms and Conditions’ section. Don’t accept it without reading it all first!
You have to be okay with touching yourself and getting blood on your hands.
When you take it out, blood will spill on your hands. It’s inevitable. It’s kind of shocking when you are getting used to using the Diva Cup, fighting your way through putting it in, and then you look down and see how much blood is on your hands. My hands looked like the scene of a murder when I was through with figuring out how to properly hold and insert the cup my first time and many after.
The BEST thing about the Diva Cup is…
It’s long-wear use! You can keep it in over night—which is AMAZING! Keep it in all day or all night and you don’t have to think about it. Also, as long as you wear it correctly, it doesn’t leak (which is an issue I have with tampons). ALSO also, it’s pretty economical! You can buy a Diva Cup for around 30 to 40 dollars online or in store. And they last a year before you should switch it out for a new one.
Putting it in and taking it out will most likely hurt (at least at first).
I’m going to very honest at the expense of possibly making you hesitant to use the Diva Cup….it kind of felt like I was torturing myself while putting the cup in the first few times. It definitely takes some (or lots) of practice. I only wore the cup twice during the first cycle I tried it (two twelve-hour increments, that is). That’s all I could muster. Sometimes, when I tried inserting it, I was far too tense to get it in without hurting myself, and it was super frustrating, so I would decide to cut my loss and give it a rest rather than stressing myself out even more. So yeah, be prepared for pain. It got somewhat better the second cycle, being more experienced, but it still hurt some.
The WORST thing about the Diva Cup is…
The pain (see above). And it definitely takes a certain finesse to properly insert it so it seals and won’t leak. I have yet to learn this technique. So far, I put it in, realize it’s not in quite right, then half pull it out and readjust, which is annoying.
It’s kind of cool to see how much blood you lose during your period, but also kinda gross at the same time.
I was surprised at how full the cup gets in a twelve-hour time frame. It’s interesting but icky to see a few ounces of your blood gathered in a cup. Also, there is a weird suction-y feeling and sound when you take it out. Gross, I know.
Try it with a pad on at first in case you have leaks.
The cup needs to unfold fully so it seals and catches all the blood, which for me, has been very tricky to get right, and if you don’t do it properly, it will leak. Also, it feels uncomfortable if it’s folded up inside you. To get it in properly, you are instructed to twist it 360 degrees while inserting, which is no easy task. As I said above, this is something I’m still struggling with—oftentimes having to put the cup in, let myself adjust to it, then come back to the restroom a little later to make adjustments, rotating it before letting it go in all the way like you’re supposed to but cannot seem to pull off yet te first time.
Things will go much more smoothly the second cycle you use the cup!! Don’t give up(:
Many of the problems I had with it, especially the struggles of painful and overly-tense insertion, were less of a problem the second go around. I imagine by the time you use it for over a few months, you will have mastered the art of the Diva Cup. Just hang in there!!