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Wellness

I Switched to a Menstrual Cup…Here’s Why I’ll Never Go Back

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

Although it seems daunting at first, switching to a menstrual cup was the best choice I have ever made when it comes to periods. I’m going to provide you with the never-ending list of reasons why making the switch to a menstrual cup is worth a try. I suggest you ditch the tampons and switch to a cup.

Menstrual Cups are Cheaper

One of the best parts about using a cup is that you don’t need to worry about going out and buying a pack of tampons every time you get your period. You pay a one-time fee (usually around 30 dollars) and you can use the cup for about a year. Sometimes, you can use it for even longer if you take proper care of your cup. We love saving money in all ways possible.

More Convenient

How many times are you at home, get your period, go to grab a tampon and there are none left?  More often than you’d probably like. So rather than bunching up some toilet paper and running to the pharmacy to grab a box, you just pull out your cup and you are good to go.

No More Toxic Shock Syndrome

The scariest part about using a tampon is the risk of leaving it in for too long. With a cup, you can sleep with it in for up to 12 hours. Hungover from a night out? Don’t worry about waking up to change your tampon. Stayed up all night binging Disney +? No problem, change your cup any time up to 12 hours after you insert it.        

Holds More Than a Tampon

Most cups can hold up to 30ml of liquid, whereas a super tampon can only hold up to 12ml. So, if you are a heavier flow kinda girl, a cup can become your best friend. It also doesn’t trap any of the mucus inside like a tampon and allows your body to naturally dispose of the lining and blood it has to. It all flows into the cup and when you remove it, you remove everything your body is trying to get rid of.

Less Leakage

The cup forms a suction inside of your canal which, if inserted properly, causes less leaking. When a tampon shifts inside of your canal or becomes over-saturated, you can get leaking. I do recommend on your first week of the cup that you use a liner because it is hard to get used to. But once you get the hang of it, you do not have to worry about using a liner anymore.

Eco-Friendly Choices

This is the number one reason I decided to use a cup. Over time, tampons and pads have become unsustainable forms of controlling menstruation. The cup is a single purchase silicon item that can last you (if you take care of it) up to one year. That means we cut back on the waste we are putting into the environment.

There are very few cons to using a cup (such as having to see blood). And with the few that exist, there are even greater rewards to compensate. I personally would rather have to deal with changing a cup than having an accident and not having tampons on me at school. It’s never too late to make the change to this new way of managing your period, so welcome to the world of Diva Cups and Lunettes.

Taya Smith

Wilfrid Laurier '21

Taya is in her 4th year of her English major with minors in both Psychology and Criminology. When she is not drinking abundant amounts of coffee, you can find her procrastinating her school work by any means necessary. She is passionate about writing and hopes to pursue a career in either education or law.
Rebecca is in her 5th year at Wilfrid Laurier University.  During the school year, she can be found drinking copious amounts of kombucha, watching hockey and procrastinating on Pinterest. She joined HCWLU as an editor in the Winter 2018 semester, and after serving as one of the Campus Correspondents in 2019-20, she is excited to be returning for the 2020-21 school year! she/her