When it comes to those who menstruate, there are two kinds of people: tampon-users and pad-users. Advocating comfort and convenience, the tamponers will claim their ways are best. On the other end, padders like to argue that they, in fact, have the most comfort and the best method. Perhaps, however, both sides have it wrong. Menstrual cups have many benefits and, despite the common assumption, are quite simple and easy to use.
1. Feels like nothing
I’ve always been a champion of tampons, largely for the fact that they are much more inconspicuous and feel more like there is nothing there than the uncomfortable diaper feeling of a pad. Menstrual cups have the same inconspicuous quality as a tampon, but have the added benefit of not feeling like anything at all. Although you don’t notice them as much, I’ve always found that you can feel a tampon at least part of the time. I was surprised to find, especially because a menstrual cup appears more invasive than a tampon by look, that menstrual cups actually feel like nothing at all! I don’t notice mine at any point throughout my day.
2. Cheaper
The diva cup website (the most well-known of menstrual cup brands) likes to claim you should change your cup once a year, but many eco websites state that a menstrual cup will actually last a good 10 years. That’s pretty much forever! If you spend $63 on tampons each year, then that’s saving you $600 if you only pay $30 for your cup. Diva Cup also likes to sell special cup cleaner, but that isn’t even necessary either, so it doesn’t have to add to cost. Because the cups are silicone, you can rinse them between changes and boil in baking soda once you finish your period, no need to use any cleaning product at all. You can also rinse them in diluted vinegar between changes if you don’t feel water is sufficient. I have had mine for over a year now, cleaning it in such a way (minus the vinegar), and my cup is still perfectly functional, clean, and does not have any odour.
3. Healthier (compared to tampons)
Tampons are absorbent. This means that any moisture (including that which hosts important bacteria) is taken in. They are extremely drying and do not make for a happy, or healthy, vagina. Furthermore, tampons are full of chemicals and put you at risk of toxic shock syndrome. When I was a tampon user, I often shrugged off TSS, but it is actually a super serious and scary thing! It can even lead to death. Menstrual cups ‘catch’ rather than absorb and do not pose a health threat, or get in the way of the natural moisture and flora (bacteria) present.
4. Less leaks, longer time between changes
Menstrual cups are able to catch more fluid than a tampon or pad, making it virtually impossible (unless you have really heavy periods) to leak on you while you’re going about your day. This, and the fact that there are no health risks involved, means that you can also leave it in longer so there is less of an inconvenience of having to change all the time. This means there is no worries about having to change it when you’re in public. Once in the morning, once when you get home at the end of your day, and once in the evening is plenty. I typically only change it in the morning and once in the early evening. If you forget, though, (which happens once in a while if you’ve had a long day) there is no worry like there is with a tampon.
5. Sexy time
Another plus of diva cups being non-cup is that natural lubrication is just as freely produced as it is when you aren’t on your period because it doesn’t dry you out like a tampon. It also keeps the flow at bay. Supposedly, normal (meaning there is no physical awareness of the cup) and mess-free internal stimulation is possible with a menstrual cup, but I have never felt too eager to see for myself. I will say, however! They do make mess-free external stimulation 100% possible so you don’t have to give up your fun-times completely when the time of the month comes around.
6. Sleep without worries
Tampon users are advised to use a pad at night, and pad users have to do it anyway. This is uncomfortable and doesn’t stop you from potentially staining your sheets. Since menstrual cups have no health risks and less leak risks, you can go to bed comfortable and at ease. When I am on my period, I go to bed every night, without even a protective panty-liner, and have no stress about leaking in the night. In the 1.5 years I’ve used a menstrual cup, not once have I woken up to find that it had leaked.
7. Environmental
By using a menstrual cup, you’re not only doing yourself a great favour, but also the environment. Tampons and pads are constantly being produced and discarded, using up resources and energy, as well as creating waste once they are disposed of. Keep in mind, too, you’re not just throwing away a tampon or pad each time, but also its packaging and, in the case of tampons, the applicator. Applicators alone take around 500 years to decompose. By using a menstrual cup, you reduce your ecological footprint by a tremendous amount with little effort, and this also helps to ensure a better future for yourself.
Piqued your interest? Next week we’ll let you know how to choose the perfect cup for you!