The Cons of the Menstrual Cup

We've gone over the pros of menstrual cups, so now its time for the cons. Like I said in the last post, I'm pretty biased toward menstrual cups at this point, but there are some definite disadvantages to them. You'll find them below along with some personal commentary regarding how I have overcome them (or ignored them, as the case may be).

The Disadvantages of a Menstrual Cup

The Learning Curve

Menstrual cups can be difficult to learn how to use. And they're even more difficult because, at the moment, they're not popular, so it's not always likely that you'll be able to ask your mom, a friend, or even your doctor, about them. It will probably take a few months or longer to get things right so that you don't make any messes (this is a good time to use a pad, either disposable or reusable, with your cup, just in case). It was frustrating for me for a long time until I remembered some other things that were difficult for me to learn:  how to say my Rs correctly, how to speak Spanish, and how to use chopsticks. But they were all worth it to me. That's the question you have to ask: is it worth it to you?

Touching Stuff... Blech!

Some people don't like menstrual cups because they have to get their fingers near (or even touching!) their privey parts (inside of them!) or their menstrual flow.

Less Convenient

I know that we also have "Convenient" in the Pros, but there are definitely some things that make menstrual cups less convenient, the main one being cleaning. You have to clean it with soap at least every twelve hours, and you should disinfect it well after your period ends (I boil mine). I hope you read this and say, "Big deal," very sarcastically, especially if you live in the US.

A "Comfort Room" in the Philippines. "For gentlemen only," I was told.
(C) Kirstie Bickford

In a later post, I'll talk about how this has actually been fairly difficult for me over the past year.

The "Will I Feel It?" Question

Maybe. Every woman is different. Can I feel it? I could feel it, but the problem was the "stem," the part of the cup that's designed to make it easy to remove the cup  when you're ready to empty it. So I just cut it off, and I've never been able to feel it since. Each company's cup is a little bit different, and you can find info all over the web about sizes and shapes.

Menstrual cup stem.
Original photo by Vevsburns.

Weigh the advantages and disadvantages: maybe the cup really isn't for you. Fortunately, unlike with puberty, you have a choice of whether or not to use a menstrual cup!

..kirstie..