Menstrual cups are often passed over because of lack of generally known information. The Diva Cup is a little cup that is inserted into the vagina, creates a suction hold with your vaginal walls, and then collects the period blood. Unlike pads and tampons, these suckers can be worn for up to 12 hours – though going a little over won’t hurt – so the constant worry about leakage and running to the bathroom to change a tampon or pad is eradicated.
However, information surrounding tampons and pads are also hard to find. Most women do not know what goes into their feminine hygiene products.
“I know next to nothing about what’s in my products except cotton? To be honest, I have no clue,” Ariel Vaisbort, a third year student at UWO, said.
Considering that these products are being placed in a very vulnerable, important part of the female body, it is of utmost importance to understand what these products are made of.
First of all, tampons and pads do use cotton, which is far worse than one would suspect. Cotton farmers use ¼ of the world’s pesticides and the cotton is also genetically modified. Tampons and pads are also unnaturally white and go through a bleaching process in which they are exposed to a plethora of harmful chemicals, such as Dioxin, which has found to cause pelvic inflammatory disease, reduced immune system, endometriosis, and reduced fertility. While the traces of these chemicals are quite low, intimina.com explained how it is still a problem.
“Vaginal tissue is very permeable which makes it easier for your body to absorb those chemicals. You could be using tampons for several days each month over the 40 years you’ll be menstruating – that’s a long time to expose those delicate tissues to potentially toxic chemicals.”
While these chemically treated products are bad enough, they can put you at risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) while can be life threatening. I, for one, don’t want to take these risks.
If health costs aren’t enough to convince you to stray from pads and tampons, maybe the monetary cost will; periods can cost up to $18,171 over your life time. When compared to the diva cup, which is reusable (and thus good for the environment) and only $40, the switch may seem very obvious.
Vaisbort also raised a point that the diva cup could be revolutionary for those without adequate access to feminine hygiene products:
“I think the diva cup is so important, especially because it is a one time purchase. It provides really important access for homeless women and women in countries where feminine hygiene is not a priority. Women in parts of Africa miss a week of school and refer to their periods as their ‘week of shame’ and use sticks and mud to contain the blood, and that’s terrible.”
This information was enough for me to make the switch, though I was still hesitant about using a menstrual cup due to fear. Vaisbort explained this common hesitancy best:
“[Diva Cups] are kept behind the counter at most pharmacies.They don’t do that with tampons and pads and I don’t need a prescription for it.” She further explains, “I worry about the mess aspect of it. What if I’m in a public washroom — what do I do?”
This nervousness was common among the women I interviewed, even though many of these women acknowledged that they had only heard good things, which was entirely in line with my own experience before I took the plunge.
Ella Purtill, a second year MIT student at Western Ontario, had a theory why.
“I think there’s a kind of stigma that comes with using menstrual cups as they’re not common,” Purtill said. “The tampon/pad industry has monopolized periods and since it’s unregulated it’s hard to break the barrier to enter the industry.”
Before my period I decided to a trial run so that I could insert it easier when my actual period came so I would make less of a mess. Safe to say, trying to insert it at first was really confusing and awkward. However, thinking back to when I first used a tampon, it seemed to be about the same kind of experience. The most important thing is not to try to insert it upwards towards the cervix, but rather back towards the tailbone. This was also part of why I had a hard time with it because I actually didn’t realize I had vagina back there. The more you know!
Once it was in, I couldn’t feel it at all. The vagina almost sucks the cup up and holds it just where it needs to go. A big surprise for me was that I couldn’t feel it at all, regardless of the size of it in relation to my vagina. Basically, vaginas are magical and this cup was made perfectly for them. Taking it out was more difficult than I has thought, because the hold my vaginal walls had on it was seriously strong. However, with a little bit of use of the kegel muscles and a firm grip on the base of the cup the suction will release and the cup will come right out.
After my period had begun, I had a better handle on how to use the cup and it was seriously effortless. Another avid diva cup user, Kenyon Born, had a very similar experience to mine.
“It makes everything else seem gross and uncomfortable,” she says. The reason for this is pads and tampons dry you out and absorb all of the good fluids that are active in your vagina. You don’t feel pads rubbing or strings wandering around down there.
“I honestly never even notice my diva cup,” Born explained. “It’s like not even having a period.”
While there is no scientific evidence proving this, Born and many other women have found that using a menstrual cup has helped reduce cramping. Personally, I have not experienced this, but these women prove that there is hope!
In terms of cleaning the diva cup, you only have to clean it every 12 hours. This helps avoid the ‘public bathroom’ worry that I, and many other women, had surrounding the diva cup. To clean the cup is quite simple, as well. “I chose to empty mine in the morning and in the evening,” Born explains. “I literally just rinse it out under super hot water every time I empty it and then I soak it in boiled water when I’m done my period.” Like Kenyon, I also do morning and evening because it is far more convenient than trying to empty and clean it during the day — especially if you are out and about! I have found it easiest to clean it in the shower but the sink is also very simple. When it comes to mess, I have found it is very tidy and that seeing the blood allows me to track my flow better. Also, no leakage = saved underwear.
“They say you can use soap but you really don’t need to,” Born furthers. “It’s better not to incase some is left on it. Boiling hot water is all you need.” While this is true, if you are a soap user like me, it is important to get a gentle, fragrance free soap. I personally use the diva wash, a concentrated soap sold by the same company, and ensure I rinse it out completely before reinserting.
While each woman’s body is her own, and her period care is entirely her choice, I would strongly recommend checking out the Diva Cup! It may not be for everyone, but it is an incredible period product that is constantly overlooked and should be given more credit.