I tried the Diva Cup!
I was so excited to see that Her Campus sent us Diva Cups to review! I’ve always wanted to try it, but didn’t know where to buy one, I felt they were expensive, and I was scared it would be uncomfortable. Over the years I’ve become more comfortable with my body and trying new things with my body; I just needed time and opportunity.
I was the only one who wanted to review the Diva Cup and I tried to encourage someone else to try it because I don’t have a regular period. I usually spot because I have an IUD, which is a method of birth control. I didn’t know how I could thoroughly review the Diva Cup. I never thought I’d say this but, luckily, my period was heavier than usual, and it was a perfect time to try it out.
Before I inserted it, I washed it with my regular hand soap and made sure that I rinsed it out really good. Then, I let it dry, but it was easier to insert it when it was wet. It took me three minutes to get the Diva Cup in the right way. It wasn’t any less uncomfortable than a tampon, and it’s a better alternative because it is reusable, so you will save money, it’s better for than environment, and it’s better for your health. A tampon absorbs the waste from your period and holds it while it is still in your vagina, while the Diva Cup just collects it. No chemicals or anything. After I had the Diva Cup in, I went about my day as normal.
The Diva Cup is supposed to last 12 hours, and even has measurement lines so that you can see how much waste it collected. I was going to leave it in for 12 hours, but I got excited and took it out two hours early. The nub to pull out the Diva Cup was pushed up further than I left it… I started to panic. The Diva Cup was officially stuck. I didn’t know what to do! I shouted to my best friend and she asked if I needed help… how awkward would that have been?! I told her no, then kept trying to grip the nub which was hard enough, but I think my long nails made it even harder for me. My friend asked if I need tweezers… I said “possibly…” but I’m so stubborn, I wanted to do it myself. I started to use my vaginal muscles to push it out and pulled with my hand and it eventually came out! So essentially, I gave birth to a Diva Cup.
Once it was out, it was really cool to see how much it collected. It was about halfway full. I emptied it into the toilet and washed it. My hands did get dirty, but that’s what soap and water is for. I wanted to sleep in in to test that out as well, but I didn’t put it back in that night because I was too shaken up. As I was lying the bed going to sleep, I realized that my vagina was a little sore, but when I woke up, the soreness was gone. That night I slept with the Diva Cup in, and I had it in for a full twelve hours. When I took it out, it was only a forth full, so even though I had it in for longer, there was less waste. It was really cool to physically see how much blood and tissue I lost on the different days of my period.
Final Thoughts:
If you do choose to try out the Diva Cup, you have to know your body and be comfortable enough with your vagina to insert it and remove it. Also, it is very messy so if you are grossed out by your own waste, then I don’t recommend the Diva Cup. However, I know how to wash my hands, so the mess didn’t bother me too much. I also read all of the educational materials, so I learned as much as I could about the product. I would definitely recommend the Diva Cup to others. It is a very cool and interesting product and I think everyone should try it at least one in her life.