If you’re unfamiliar, The Diva Cup® is a feminine hygiene product that was launched in 2003 and has recently become more popular. It is made of silicone, which allows the product to be reusable. The Diva Cup holds one liquid ounce, so the equivalent is about six regular tampons. It can be worn for no more than 12 consecutive hours with no possibility of Toxic Shock Syndrome, a risk that comes with wearing tampons.
A regular tampon holds about a teaspoon of blood and a super plus tampon holds about two teaspoons of blood. There is about one to two ounces of blood in a regular cycle, which is about six to 12 teaspoons. This measurement is for the average monthly period, so us heavy-flowing girls have it a bit more challenging when our time of the month hits.
Disclaimer: This article is going to get very T-M-I so if that’s not your thing, I would advise you to stop reading here.
For starters, I have been a tampon girl ever since I got my period; pads were always too bulky and uncomfortable for me to deal with. It is recommended to wear a pad with The Diva Cup® in case of any leakage that may occur, but that didn’t bother me much because the same risk comes with tampons. But this was the beginning of my mistake, as I don’t even have any pads with me.
The directions are clear: you just have to fold the cup into a ‘U’ shape and insert it like a tampon. This can be kind of messy and uncomfortable because your thumb and forefinger are inside your vagina while inserting the cup. Before the cup is fully inserted, it will expand to full size. Once this happens, you must push the cup to a comfortable position and twist it 360 degrees in each direction to have a tight seal. This is the tricky part and I still haven’t gotten it down quite yet.
Day one was a disaster if I’m being honest. In the beginning of day one, leakage was a slight issue– nothing too terrible, just some spotting here and there, but it didn’t bother me very much. Everyone has their designated period panties, am I right? I didn’t quite have the changing times down, so needless to say, a pair of underwear was ruined by the end of day one. I gave in at night and used a tampon instead because I felt more comfortable and didn’t feel like waking up in blood the next morning.
By day two, I was a little discouraged because of the fact that a blood bath had occurred the day before. In the morning, I decided I was more comfortable wearing tampons, but by midday I was determined to continue on my Diva Cup journey. Fortunately, there was no leakage and my faith was restored. I have been using The Diva Cup® for the past three days with minimal to no complications.
Removal and cleaning can be kind of tricky. When removing it, you have to pull on the stem at the bottom of the cup, similar to the string of a tampon. Relaxing your pelvic muscles helps a lot and squatting on the floor to open your pelvis helps, too. But squatting in a communal bathroom stall while removing a cup full of blood can be challenging. I found that removing it in the shower is much easier and a lot less messy. The cup must be rinsed with every change; I had the luxury of not having anyone in the bathroom when I rinsed it, but I can imagine it being quite uncomfortable with someone standing next to you as you wash your period blood down the drain.
Overall, I do like The Diva Cup® and will most likely continue using it. Just like with any other feminine hygiene product there is a risk of mess, but it can be resolved through trial and error. Knowing your body and your cycle is the most important thing when it comes down to it. My advice would be to at least wear a panty liner when wearing The Diva Cup® just in case of any leakage. Making the transition was not as hard as I expected but if you are a pad girl, I would try switching to tampons first just to get comfortable. Being comfortable with your body and knowing how everything works “down there” is the key to a successful Diva Cup use.
For more detailed information about The Diva Cup®, go to http://divacup.com/
Photo creds to Bustle