Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Menstrual Cups but Were Afraid to Ask
Pads and tampons aren’t the only way to control bleeding during shark week. Menstrual cups are another great option. But if you haven’t personally tried one, or don’t know someone who has tried, you will likely see these resilient wonders as shrouded in mystery. Today we lift the veil.
What is a Menstrual Cup?
It is a reusable alternative to tampons and pads. The menstrual cup is located inside the vagina to collect the leaking menstrual blood. Take it out several times a day (be careful! Don’t spill it!) And flush the contents down the toilet. It is washable, so you can use it cycle after cycle. One menstrual cup can replace disposable products that have been in use for years.
If you’ve never seen a menstrual cup, think of a silicone glass: it’s the right size and feel. Except that they are usually curved at the bottom and have a small stem for the handle, so the shape is more like a cut wine glass.
Are cups safer than tampons?
You are not at risk with any of them. We understand the risks of tampons better than cups simply because tampons are so popular and cups, while gaining in popularity, are still underground. DivaCup , one of the largest manufacturers, reportedly sold a million cups . This is not so much, considering how many menstruating women must live in this country.
Most people using cups have no problem at all, so as far as we can tell, they are safe. However, there is a myth that cup users “cannot” develop toxic shock syndrome , or TSS, a condition that all tampon packs must tell you about. It is not true.
TSS is a serious and very rare infection that can lead to organ failure and death. Around 1980, he was associated with the superfood brand of absorbent tampons . They were taken off the market and other manufacturers changed their recipes. The FDA demanded warnings about frequent tampon changes. The number of cases has dropped dramatically and TSS is once again extremely rare.
Last year, a study published in the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology documented the first case of TSS associated with a menstrual cup. Obstetrician / Gynecologist Dr. Jen Gunther writes : “Now we shouldn’t make the assumption that cups are safer than tampons.” But both are still safe.
There is another safety question: Are cups a good way to keep chemicals from getting into the tampons? Critics point to dioxins , chemicals obtained from the bleaching process that were previously used to make tampons. But the FDA’s latest patient warning on the matter indicates that manufacturers must conduct dioxin tests, and the tests did not reveal any dioxins at detectable levels.
People who love their menstrual cups seem to feel the need to fight the “toxins” in pads and tampons, but there is no real reason to be wary of disposable supplies. These toxins are either outdated, like dioxins, or made up like urban asbestos legends , or otherwise vague, like what we hear about in cleansing juices . As a result, neither cups nor tampons have the serious health risks that we are aware of.
Are cups better for the environment?
Obviously, you generate less waste when using a cup than when using a few dozen pads or tampons a month. At first glance, this is a victory for the cup.
But let’s stop and check the reality: These foods make up 0.5% of the garbage you generate in your life . During your menstrual cycle, guilt and shame are enough without pretending that your tampon habit is destroying the environment. Going into a cup is a great way to reduce garbage, but you can make a bigger impact by finding ways to reduce the remaining 99.5%.
Are menstrual cups cheap?
The cups cost between $ 20 and $ 40 each, depending on the brand. That’s a lot, but you’ll save money over time if you don’t buy pads or tampons. (Quick calculation: If a reusable pack of tampons costs $ 7 and you buy a box every month, that’s $ 84 a year. Obviously, prices and needs vary.)
In fact, you could have spent more. If the first cup doesn’t work, you’ll check comparison tools like this one to find the best model. Some women like to have a spare cup on hand, so that will double your spending. Although the cup does not usually occur, it is not reliable – so that you can still wear a thin pad, such as a gasket for the panties .
Eventually, you will have to replace it as well. DivaCup invites you to buy a new one every year . Mooncup claims their product will last ” years and years .” The material will degrade over time, and your body can change over time. Thus, the lifetime cost of using the cups exceeds the initial $ 30, but still much less than using disposable products in the same time frame.
Are the cups more comfortable?
It’s a win-win because the convenience is multifaceted.
You (probably) won’t have to change cups that often. Cup fans love to say that they are great for lazy people as they can hold on a ton of blood before you are in danger of leaking. Manufacturers are not required to tell them how often to change them (the FDA wants you to change your tampon at least every eight hours ), so cup manufacturers often recommend a more generous 12 hours or so. Whether this is a good idea or not, we really don’t know.
You (probably) don’t need to carry extra supplies with you all the time. If you suddenly realize that you need to empty the cup, just do it. If you love to carry spare pads, you will certainly need them. And you can bring napkins or a water bottle with you to clean the cup.
Emptying the cup can be annoying. If you’re in a stall closet, it’s awkward to unload the cup, pull on your pants, wash the cup in the sink, and then return to the stall to reinsert. If somewhere you are stuck only with a portable pot, then without a sink the same situation. In such cases, most manufacturers say that you can drain the blood, wipe the cup with toilet paper, and put it back in. You should make sure to really clean it out as soon as you get the chance, but if you’re re-camping it may not be possible. This is where tissues or a bottle of water come in handy: they are ways to clean your cup when you don’t have access to the sink.
You should also watch your cup when not wearing it. If you’re used to having tampons and pads in your purse, toilet, car, gym bag and everywhere, knowing that you only have one menstrual cup can be a little jittery. and you know better where it is. (Of course, you can keep your tampons and tampons just in case.)
Some people even boil a cup between drinks, although this is probably not necessary. If you want to sterilize it but don’t want to use a pot, a microwave sterilization bag designed for baby bottles will probably work for you. Check the instructions that came with your cup for details – for example, Keeper material will break faster if you boil it frequently .
I am not ashamed of my period. Does this mean I should use a cup?
You don’t have to, but there is an argument about cups as a feminist statement worth looking out for. Jane Hu explains this here at Slate : It’s kind of offensive for women to pretend their periods (both menstruation and sticking their fingers in the vagina for daily care) are disgusting. Traditional pads and tampon manufacturers continue to perpetuate this myth with all their euphemisms and talk of restraint.
But that has nothing to do with the cup itself. Sure, you stay up to date on the color and amount of your flow, but at the end of the day you simply choose something to soak up the blood that you well know is coming out of you. You might be pleased to buy from a company that celebrates your periods naturally and beautifully, rather than one that advertises on television in such vague terms that it is not always clear what they are talking about. But this is marketing. It’s okay to vote in dollars, but know that the vagina doesn’t care.
How accurately would I use it?
I admit, it looks intimidating if you are used to thin little tampons. Just remember that your vagina is for a baby , so a small soft drink is not a problem. Once you insert it, the cup is not much different from the tampon. You will forget that it is there.
Before we dive into the details, let’s make a caveat: if you have a prolapsed uterus or just an oddly shaped vagina, the cup (or even tampons) may not fit comfortably. There is no shame in this; Continue to use spacers if they work for you. You may also hear warnings about cup rejection if you also have an IUD , but you can usually combine the two. Check with your gynecologist if you want to be sure of this.
However, if you’re having trouble or discomfort with your cup, this is most likely a fixable issue. When you start using the cup, you need to learn. Here are the basic skills to master:
- How to insert a cup . With clean hands, fold the cup down so it is narrower and push it back in place. Here are some insertion tips and watch the video above to learn about some of the folding techniques. You can also use a water-based lubricant if you need help to relieve it.
- How to make sure it is securely fastened. The cup should pop open as soon as you release it (you can hear a popping sound!), And then you can twist it or pull it slightly to make sure it doesn’t go anywhere.
- How to remove it . Again, with clean hands, grip the base of the cup to loosen suction, and gently slide it out, folding slightly as you travel. The video below explains this technique.
The main advantage of cups is that you never have a problem finding advice on how to use them. People love , love , love , love , love to talk about their menstrual cups. There is even a thriving community that started discussing them on livejournal in 2002 and got so carried away that they couldn’t leave . The companies that make the cups are usually happy to help as well.
How to choose the correct size?
Most brands offer two sizes, the larger is recommended for older women or those with a baby. But they all have a different shape, so these guidelines will not always lead you to the size you want.
There is no guaranteed way to know which one to pick, no size to measure to be sure. But if you’ve tried a cup and it seems too long, too wide, or too narrow for you, you can use this Eco Friendly Family’s Amanda comparison tool , who also made the diagram you see above. If you visit her page, you will also see a table of measurements for each brand and a tool that allows you to place images next to each other. Thus, you have both the number and the visual comparison, say, less if FemmyCycle Low Cervix, than MeLuna Shorty .
As shown in the diagram, each brand has several sizes, but if you want to change the shape, you will have to change the brand. One thing the chart doesn’t show is the difference in materials. Some are softer so they are easier to stick in, but they are also more likely to slip out of place. Some brands have different sizes and materials. If you want to customize every aspect of your cup, MeLuna is your best bet : you can get almost any combination of material, size (diameter), height and handle type.
And about the handle: it is only needed to help you grip the cup if it is really high in the vagina. As long as you can reach for the cup, there is no need for a handle. So if you have a cup that works great except for the long stem, you don’t have to look for a new cup – you can just grab the scissors and cut off the stem right away.
The cups may be different from the ones you’re used to, but they’re a great option if you want to use something reusable and don’t mind the learning curve and extra maintenance. Now that you know what cups are and how they work, you can decide whether to try them the next time the Reds play in the city center.
Vitals is a Lifehacker health and fitness blog. Follow us on Twitter here .