Warning: This entire article is one giant TMI. I really hate getting my period. It’s not the infamous physical pains and heightened emotions that make me despise that time of the month. To be honest, I’m fortunate enough to not be very affected by those side effects. Instead, it’s the damn inconvenience, or rather the inconveniences.
Too many cute undies have been unjustly lost to surprise period attacks. There were a lot of opportunities I had to pass up because it was uncomfortable to do while menstruating, i.e. swimming. The worst of the inconveniences come from pads and tampons though. I hate needing to change them throughout the day and how expensive they are. So I decided to try a menstrual cup. The “Diva Cup” to be exact.
A menstrual cup is a feminine hygiene product that is inserted like a tampon and catches menstrual fluid. Sounds pretty gross right? At least most women I know think so. Truth be told, I thought so too before using one. After trying it out I realized that menstrual cups aren’t as bad as they seem, but they aren’t perfect either.
The first time I used one, I spent ten minutes trying to figure out how to use it. I read the directions over and over again before attempting to insert it. That was a whole other process all together! I was afraid it would somehow get stuck, or I was going to hurt myself. It was uncomfortable at first and this took a couple of attempts, but once I got it in correctly, I couldn’t even feel it for the rest of the day.
The awesome thing about the “Diva Cup” is that you can leave it in for a whole 12 hours, even during urination and bowel movements.That means not having to worry about potentially running out of pads or tampons during the day. Personally, I left my menstrual cup in for seven hours even while using the bathroom. To my surprise, I actually felt cleaner than I normally would have. Since the “Diva Cup” is a bell shape cup worn internally, the menstrual fluid is never exposed to air, unlike the menstrual fluid on pads or tampons. This eliminates the cause for odor. For the first time I felt just as fresh as I did when I’m not on my period.
By the end of the day, I did not stain my panties once. I was very impressed, until I had to actually remove the cup. During this moment of my “Diva Cup” adventure, I was regretting ever being curious about the product. In my experience, it was more difficult to take out than a tampon and that was enough to put me in full panic mode. In order to remove it you have to get a good grip on the cup which may be uncomfortable for some. Once you can confidently take it out then you do so slowly. In my experience, there wasn’t any mess involved after taking it out. If you remove slowly you should be fine. However, if you are someone who is nauseated by blood then I must warn you, you will see a lot of it contained. After that, you should wash the cup immediately. The product comes with specific directions and if you don’t follow them, you risk your “Diva Cup” developing an odor. It isn’t hard, but it’s definitely something you’ll want to do right.
From my experience, I’d say that I would use the “Diva Cup” again. The freshness I felt outweighed most of the negatives. However, I couldn’t say I would strictly use the “Diva Cup.” In certain situations, it could be more convenient to just use a tampon or a pad. It’s all about doing what makes you feel confident, fresh and comfortable. I encourage women to try it because you might feel better trying something different.