When I first heard about what a menstrual cup was, my initial thought was, “Why on earth would anyone ever use one of these”? Well, this is just a classic example of never be too quick to judge something, no matter what. Back then, I knew nothing about menstrual cups. No, like really. I didn’t even know they were reusable, which is like the most well known, basic knowledge one could have about the product. Now, I have been using a menstrual cup for almost two years and have never looked back. Heck, I now encourage everybody who menstruates to use one. That is of course, if you are comfortable.
For starters, menstrual cups come in two different sizes, the first being for those under the age of 30 who have not given birth, and the other being for those who are either 30 and over and have never given birth, as well as those who have given birth and are either over or under 30. For me, I was 20 years old at the time of my purchase, so I went with the first option, but everyone is different, so be sure to check the label.
The most common questions people ask about menstrual cups is if they are painful and if they can cause an infection, and to answer those questions I say to both, yes and no. However, if you take care of yourself and your cup, you should be just fine. The cup itself is made of silicon and is very flexible. In order to insert the cup, there are two ways to fold it, but the easiest, and my go to is to pinch the cup closed and fold it like a “C” and carefully stick it “up there”. It will open up automatically, which in case you were wondering, does not hurt. You may feel a slight “popping” sensation if you move funny or even do nothing, but even that doesn’t usually hurt. Trust me, I’m a redhead with a naturally low pain tolerance, and inserting a menstrual cup is nothing! At first, it took some getting used to, but I guess the slight pain I did feel in the beginning could have been attributed to the fact that I was nervous for my lady bits, which is normal at first, but pretty soon, you’ll feel like there’s nothing there.
When it comes time to empty it out, you are fortunate in that menstrual cups can be left inside you for up to 12 hour, depending on how heavy your flow is. At the bottom of the cup, there should be a tiny stem. You are going to want to pinch that and pull, and you also may have to use the muscles “down there” for extra support. This may feel like you are giving birth to a suction cup, but again, it doesn’t hurt. My advice is to remove it while sitting on the toilet and make sure you are sitting directly above it because things can splatter…quickly. Also, if you are uncomfortable watching out the remains in the sink of a public restroom, I would wait until you get home so you can change it in the privacy of your own home (after all, you have up to half a day to do this), or finding a one person restroom so you can avoid others watching you and having to walk an unnecessary distance without any period protection.
Now in order to avoid any infection, you are going to want to keep this product sterilized. In order to make sure the cup is safe to use again, it is recommended that you put it in boiling water for about 10 minutes or so after each cycle is complete. What I did was I bought a separate pot specifically for boiling my menstrual cup and keep the cup in that pot under my bed so I don’t have to cook pasta in the same pot I use to boil something that collects my shedded uterine lining. It’s that simple!
Making the switch from using pads and tampons to using a menstrual cup certainly has its benefits. Although it cost me about $40, I still save so much money because I don’t have to keep spending it on disposable period products, and as a financially struggling college student, I’ll take all the saved pennies I can get. Also, due to their reusability for up to 10 years, yes you heard me correctly, menstrual cups are the most sustainable period product out there. So not only are you saving money, you are saving the planet with limited waste from cutting out pads and tampons. I do still use pads whenever my “bits” need a breather, but for the majority of my cycles, I stick to my trusty menstrual cup, and not once have I regretted the switch!