This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
It seems like I have been hearing about Diva Cups everywhere lately, and then oh so appropriately, Her Campus Headquarters shipped us some new goodies for back to school. Low and behold they included Diva Cups! What is a Diva Cup, you ask? Essentially, it’s a piece of plastic that takes the place of a tampon. Instead of having to change it and throw it away constantly, it collects, is emptied, gets cleaned and can then be used again. Kinda crazy, right! Well, my curiosity and slight shock that this is a real thing led me to give the Diva Cup the good ole college try.
OK, How the F**k is This Supposed to Work?!
I waited until my period was at its heaviest flow, hoping it would make getting this thing in easier. I was quickly reminded of 13-year-old, first time period me— freaking out about how to get a tampon in as I extensively read the directions and analyzed the pictures. This was much the same. I practiced folding the cup a few times and finally gave it a go. It took me about 4 tries to get it in. The directions said to rotate the cup to be sure that it was open, which was not working for me. So far, this was a lot more “hands on” than I expected.
OMG Moment
My first thought: It’s finally in!
Second thought: Wow, this nub to get it out is small… I’m missing the lengthy tampon string A LOT!
Third thought: (More like panic) This is totally not going to come out.
Initially, it was slightly uncomfortable, but then again I did have a piece of plastic in my vag that’s not usually there. I was also convinced that it was going to get lost once I started walking around with it in, but a quick Google search assured me that’s not possible. I was very tempted to take it out, but decided I needed to try to get the full ~experience~.
Venturing Out With It In
At first, I hadn’t made it off my couch or out of my apartment to really know how the cup was going to feel/work. Going to class was my first Diva Cup venture. I could feel the plastic nub that sticks out for removal. It was peeving me and possibly making me walk funny, but as the hours went on, I kind of forgot it was there. After wearing the cup for a few hours, I wanted to check to see if the leak-free claim held up. Unfortunately, for me, it didn’t. I was going to the gym and didn’t feel like risking a period explosion, so I decided to remove the Diva Cup.
Removal
OUCH! This is where my trial came to an end. I had every intention of giving it another go until I removed the Diva Cup. It was messy, gross and painful. The plastic felt like it was suctioned to me and didn’t fold as easily when taking it out as it did going in. I’ll spare you the details, but I had period, like, everywhere. Thankfully I was in the confines of my home, but I really couldn’t imagine this being practical at work, in between classes, or really anywhere that a sink and paper towels are right next to you.
Overall Thoughts
By the end of my short-lived attempt of the Diva Cup, I was not a fan. I really had high hopes that I would try this and it would be awesome, but it is not for me. I do realize that I may not have inserted it properly, or that it is something that gets more comfortable/easy to use over time. Or maybe I’m just not “Diva” enough for the Diva Cup.
Ratings on a Scale of 1-10
- Comfort Inserting/Removing: 4
- Comfort Once Inserted: 8
- Ease of Use: 5
- Coverage: 6
- Overall: 5.75
Maybe Diva Cups will win me over one day, but for now…
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