Everyone Wants to Know: What is a Menstrual Cup?

When I started this blog, the most feedback I got was about promises of menstrual cup posts. I don't know what it is about them, but menstrual cups seem to have the ability to draw attention to themselves. Despite this, they still get the short end of the stick when it comes to recognition in the world of feminine hygiene products. This being so, I'm beginning my Menstrual Cup series with this post--take it as a primer on menstrual cups if you will.

Beware: this post says things like "vagina" and "menstruation," and there are pictures of things related to those words.


Okay, so what is a menstrual cup anyway?

A menstrual cup is a device, like a tampon or sanitary napkin (pad), used by women during their menstrual period

A Diva Cup, currently one of the more widely-known brands in the US.
Photo by Detienne MC. (C) Public Domain.

Most menstrual cups are made from silicon or rubber/latex (and a few disposable types are made from polyethylene plastic), making them easy to clean and use, durable, reusable (generally), and long-lasting.

Seriously? Since when?

The first modern-ish menstrual cup was actually patented in 1932. Until the late 80s, a bunch of companies tried and failed to market menstrual cups. The Keeper was able to begin successful marketing of a cup in 1987, and the product is actually still on the market today!

Grumble, grumble, then why haven't I heard of it?

We got stuck in the "disposable" trend, my friends. For some reason, we went with pads and tampons, just like we went with TV dinners, paper napkins, McDonald's, and Swiffers. Do yourself a favor and take a tour of your local landfill sometime.


How does it work?

An easy way to understand how a menstrual cup works is to compare and contrast it to tampons and pads:

A menstrual cup is inserted into the vagina, similar to how a tampon is worn.

Tampons and pads absorb the menstrual flow, whereas a menstrual cup catches it.

Tampons and pads can be used one time; menstrual cups are reusable (most brands recommend reuse for 1-5 years, but some women say they've been using the same cup for over 10 years!)

Basically, you wear it inside, like a tampon. It catches the menstrual fluid, and you empty it out every few hours (more often for heavy flows, less for lighter flows). You wash it with soap twice a day to keep the germies away; when you're done with your period, you have to sanitize it (generally by boiling it).

Tampons and a FleurCup.
Photo by and (c) גביע האלופות

Okay, but isn't that kind of icky?

Maybe it is, but let me tell you some other things that people think are icky:

• Boys
• Brussels Sprouts
• Kissing
• Dogs
• Girls
• Privey parts
• Shoving wads of chemically bleached rayon into said privey parts
• The smell of oxidizing menstrual fluid in your pad as you sit in your stuffy math class next to the boy that you like

 We deal with "icky" things all the time. We do things that are difficult, strange, or even occasionally ridiculous. And, occasionally, we have fun while we're doing it (I once ate ice cream out of a (clean) rain gutter and it was awesome).

Menstrual cups aren't any different. It takes a change of thought and behavior, but isn't that what we had to do when we started our periods anyway?

More on this soon.

..kirstie..