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When I was 14 years old, I had a very limited idea of alternative menstrual options. All I knew was the comfort of pads and the terrors of tampons and Toxic Shock Syndrome. Needless to say, my lack of information made me stay far away from Diva Cups. Eventually I stopped avoiding swim practice in P.E. and warmed up to the idea of tampons, but for years I stuck to the familiarity of using pads.
Now I’m 20 and thankfully, I have a much better sense of how my body works! I also realize that pads and panty liners can really eat up my toiletries budget. So over the course of my 5-day period, I decided to test out the Diva Cup. My hope was that not only would the cup save me money on menstrual products but it would also take away from the stress of always needing a pad on me.
Appearance
So upon taking the Diva Cup out of its adorable packaging, I was shocked by how small it was! I always have to remind myself that even during the heaviest cycles, on average, women only lose about four tablespoons of blood. The cup itself was really soft and the thick rubbery material convinced me that it was high quality.
Getting It In & Out
Now before I even attempted to put the cup inside of me, I washed my hands and the Diva Cup with warm water and unscented soap. To put it in I just sat on the toilet and per instructions I folded the cup in half and literally just put it inside of me. I did have to do a little balanced squat over the toilet to make it a little easier. Once it was inside of me, it expanded back to what I assume was its regular shape and it stayed put.  Now the seamless process of getting it in was a stark contrast to my experience getting it out. The first time I tried to remove the cup, it took me 12 painstaking minutes. The process itself was not painful but it was frustrating trying to get a firm grip on to the nubby end of the cup. Since the cup was made of rubber I could hardly get any friction to successfully grab on to it. Every time I grabbed on to the end of the cup it slipped from my fingers and went right back to its normal position.  After minutes of slipping around I almost gave up and resolved that the cup and I were one forever. But then I looked up easy ways to remove a Diva Cup and after reading other women’s’ experiences I used a combination of my kegel muscles and fingers to help guide it out.
Leakage Issues
The first two days of my period tend to be the heaviest. This cycle was no exception. I will admit on the first day in addition to the Diva Cup I wore a panty liner because I was definitely afraid of random leaks. I did end up with a few leaks on the first day. I could not tell if it was because I made a mistake putting it in or if leaks were just a normal part of the process. I tried again on the second day and to my surprise I had no leaks! I will admit that day two was also less heavy than day one but regardless of that, I was thoroughly happy with how leak-proof the Diva Cup was. Over the next three days I experienced no leakages and I even stopped wearing a back-up panty liner because I was beginning to get confident in the cup. The true leakage-test came when I did my squat routine, and to my surprise not a single leak occurred that day.
Comfort
The most magical part of my experience was the fact that I could barely feel the Diva Cup inside of me. It was, dare I say, just as if not more comfortable than a tampon. Even though the cup was much wider than a tampon, it’s soft rubbery texture definitely helped make it feel less noticeable throughout the day. I sat through 2-hour long review sessions, ran for 45 minutes and even did a squat routine with the cup. With all of those exercises I did not feel a thing which was incredible considering that a Diva Cup is much bigger than a tampon.
Convenience
One of the major benefits that I noticed was not having to change my pad throughout the day. Normally I change pads two to three times a day which was annoying and expensive. I put the Diva Cup in when I woke up and went through an entire day of classes, club meetings and socializing before taking it out before my nightly shower. I will admit I was nervous about Toxic Shock Syndrome and my chances of contracting it using the Diva Cup. But after researching menstrual cups I was relieved to find that the only cases of TSS from menstrual cups were from women who left their cups in for over 7 days which was way more than the 10-12 hours that you’re allowed to keep it in. Getting TSS from using a menstrual cup is still highly unlikely. That means you really don’t have to worry about having to keep it all day if you’ve got a busy schedule ahead of you.
Cleaning
Cleaning the cup was definitely the easiest part of the routine. After taking it out I just used unscented soap and warm water to wash the cup. After my period was over, I gave the Diva Cup a major clean by submerging it in boiling water for 10 minutes. Doing this ensured that any bacteria that may have been on or in the cup was now dead. It was a little awkward when my roommates saw me boiling a menstrual cup but I quickly got over the embarrassment.
Overall, my experience with the Diva Cup was pleasant and I’m honestly considering using it in lieu of pads. The only part that was difficult for me was taking it out but I’m sure with more practice I’ll get the hang of it. On average the Diva Cup costs $40 but after spending that one time fee, the cup lasts up to 10 years with proper care. Not only that but you also prevent yourself from throwing away one-use menstrual products that contribute to environmental waste. If you find that you spend an annoying amount of money on menstrual products or you just want a more environmental option, then you should really consider purchasing a Diva Cup.