# Ladies - menstrual cup!



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

Have any of you ladies heard of menstrual cups or used them?

I just discovered them and am "converted" :lol

For those who don't know, (it's up to women to spread the word about them because the companies who make them don't make enough money to run ads - that's because one cup lasts up to 10 years)

Pros: 

Long-lasting, reusable, FDA approved, worn up to 12 hours/day, saves money, saves environment, hygienic (medical-grade silicone), non-drying, no TSS, no scent, no infections, comfortable, no leaks if properly inserted, can be used while swimming or any kind of physical activity, easy to clean, discreet, don't have to feel ashamed of your body!

Cons:

steep learning curve (which is essentially learning very intimately the way your body works)

some reviews of one brand on Amazon

And a community of women who are not going back to those chlorine-bleached products. :b

:banana :banana :banana :banana :banana


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

If no one responds (girls or guys), I assume it's because discussing "the curse" is still taboo in our society. But we need to break this mold, especially people as smart as us (people with SA are generally very intelligent and open-minded). That's why I made this post.


----------



## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

yay for upgrades :banana :banana


----------



## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

I am not sure this would work for me....sounds kind of difficult to use. I looked over the site but its just sounds like its difficult to use to me.


----------



## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

I think people are a bit a reluctant to discuss that sort of thing so very publicly.


----------



## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Not to be gross, but it sounds like it'd make for a messy 'relationship'. :lol


----------



## mserychic (Oct 2, 2004)

Sounds a bit.. complicated


----------



## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

I'm actually turned off just by the name alone. They should call it something else.


----------



## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

Yeah, I've heard of the Diva Cup, but I don't think I'll be using one. It just seems.... awkward to, uh, stick it in and hold it in there.


----------



## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

yeah!! i use the diva-cup! its amazing, all girls should convert.

and its not hard or weird to put in, it just takes a bit of practise. but it is SO much better not having to worry about changing it or it leaking the whole day. it also feels good to not have to produce all that waste since the tampons + applicators really added up. i wish i had switched long ago.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It looks like a trombone mouthpiece. :stu


----------



## Bon (Dec 24, 2005)

millenniumman75 said:


> It looks like a trombone mouthpiece. :stu


I saw your name in this thread and HAD to see what you were gonna say;-)

If they could come up with some type of reusable applicator, something...
And I'm a clutz, no way around it, I imagine at the end of the day I could make a mess out of things.


----------



## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

millenniumman75 said:


> It looks like a trombone mouthpiece. :stu


So that's what happened to Joseph Alessi.


----------



## meghanaddie (Sep 9, 2008)

I'd be a fan if I could actually use the damn thing.


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I don't know; it looks scary. It looks kind of painful. I don't know if that one part could stab or cause pain.


----------



## liarsclub (Aug 23, 2008)

I'm using mine right now! TMI?


----------



## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

millenniumman75 said:


> I don't know; it looks scary. It looks kind of painful. I don't know if that one part could stab or cause pain.


no, its just rubbery and a bit soft, its not that bad.
(err.. )


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

nubly said:


> yay for upgrades :banana :banana


Hehe  Indeed. Time to break a centuries-old tradition. :duck


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

Drella said:


> Yeah, I've heard of the Diva Cup, but I don't think I'll be using one. It just seems.... awkward to, uh, stick it in and hold it in there.


Yeah, I thought so too at first. The first time I saw this thing on a shelf in a drugstore, I was _extremely_ apprehensive and left without even picking up the box and reading it. 
But it's ironic because probably if you ask the women who can't live without them, they'd say it is awkward to use anything else... like this way feels more natural... :shrug


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

RubyTuesday said:


> I'm actually turned off just by the name alone. They should call it something else.


Hmm... "The Lotus"? "The bell"? heheh :troll


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

It looks it can poke an eye out. 
What if it overflows? The cup runneth over.


----------



## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

millenniumman75 said:


> It looks it can poke an eye out.
> What if it overflows? The cup runneth over.


... uke :sus I'm sorry, but that's just_ too much_ information!

And I thought that men couldn't stand such topics... :stu :lol

I'm just glad I live in the here-and-now -some of the stuff women had to use 20 years back -woah :eek. I got no idea how they put up with things like 'maxi pads' :con ...as this clip from madtv illustrates fairly well...

[youtube:2ktqnbcn]



[/youtube:2ktqnbcn]

Even this ad for maxi pads in 1980 shows just how MASSIVE they were! :eyes :eyes

[youtube:2ktqnbcn]



[/youtube:2ktqnbcn]


----------



## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I was trying to get a laugh. 

Anyway, the sanitary napkin commercials....I never even knew what they were used for. Antiperspirant was the same way. They would describe these products as if they weren't even hygiene. :lol


----------



## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

I am curious now. I have never seen them in a pharmacy in this country. Might order one on the internet.


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

millenniumman75 said:


> I was trying to get a laugh.
> 
> Anyway, the sanitary napkin commercials....I never even knew what they were used for. Antiperspirant was the same way. They would describe these products as if they weren't even hygiene. :lol


Lol, true. Commercials makes everything useless sound like it's going to change your life and make you completely happy... doesn't matter whether it's a car, a toothbrush, or a cleaning cloth. :lol


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

Lisa said:


> I am curious now. I have never seen them in a pharmacy in this country. Might order one on the internet.


 :hs


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

millenniumman75 said:


> It looks it can poke an eye out.
> What if it overflows? The cup runneth over.


Hehe  It just takes a little observation of uh, how your body works. I read that one cup user, a graduate student, wrote a thesis on how she thinks women who use them are much more comfortable with and knowledgeable about their bodies... : -))


----------



## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

rusalka said:


> millenniumman75 said:
> 
> 
> > It looks it can poke an eye out.
> ...


That could very well be true. Honestly, reading the Diva Cup insertion tips, I tuned out when I saw the word "lube."


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

Drella said:


> rusalka said:
> 
> 
> > millenniumman75 said:
> ...


Lol... that sounds funny


----------



## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

Yeah, I also saw the word 'lube'. I think I will stick with what I use now.

The rest of the article about how she was trying to find the right position totally made me laugh though. Definitely recommended reading! :lol :eyes


----------



## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

I'm difficult to convert. I don't even like much using tampons. I'll only do so if swimming and even then probably will try to avoid it.

I remember hearing about the IUD contraceptive, for instance, and how some women got cervical cancer.
Then there are just other birth control methods like the pill, which can change your whole system. some women put on heaps of weight, others get bad acne (my sister is coming off it now and has broken out in a rash of pimples); and then there is my cousin who after several years of being on the pill then found it had made it much more difficult to get pregnant.

I suppose I am a little cautious, if not frigid, about trying anything that's possibly going to mess around. ...That's just me, though. My sister's more comfortable with such things. She even said that there is a certain contraceptive pill that is much safer and with less side effects than others.

Still, when it comes to a woman's period -I figure why mess around with what already works!? Sanitary pads are much better nowadays -they are heaps thinner and comfortable. And really, it's not enough of a bother for me to want to try something that's fussy and/or requires more attention or care. 

The Diva Cup may be great. But I'm not uncomfortable enough now to need to try something different. :stu


----------



## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

Penny said:


> its just sounds like its difficult to use to me.


 :ditto I'll stick to simple old pads. :b


----------



## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

I've heard really good things about it, but I don't like change. Or extra effort.


----------



## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

RubyTuesday said:


> some women put on heaps of weight, others get bad acne (my sister is coming off it now and has broken out in a rash of pimples); and then there is my cousin who after several years of being on the pill then found it had made it much more difficult to get pregnant.


back when i took/tried to take birth control pills they always either gave me bad acne or horrible stomach problems. oh well after i have the baby i'm getting myself fixed(if i have cancer i'll just go ahead and have a full hysterectomy) so that'll keep me from needing birth control pills.


----------



## Sunshine009 (Sep 21, 2008)

I'm happy with the standard things.


----------



## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

Shauna The Dead said:


> RubyTuesday said:
> 
> 
> > some women put on heaps of weight, others get bad acne (my sister is coming off it now and has broken out in a rash of pimples); and then there is my cousin who after several years of being on the pill then found it had made it much more difficult to get pregnant.
> ...


I hope you don't have cancer, Shauna. Try not to worry too much. It may be something else or just some irregularity -perhaps to do with being pregnant. I'm no doctor but I've heard that women's reproductive systems are complicated.

Also, at least they're checking up on it. I think I heard that with cervical cancer that usually it goes undetected until the actual person starts experiencing problems/symptoms themself; so the fact that they're checking it out before you felt any actual effects, I think puts you in a better position -assuming, that is, that you even had cancerous cells. ...Again, this may not be the case at all.

My brother's friend got throat cancer and died at about 21. In his case, he went to the doctor a few times complaining of difficulty swallowing, but they dismissed it as psychological. ...Better that you get doctors who actually bother to look into things or, similar, better that something "shows up" in a test like a pap smear before it actually starts to affect you physically ..as was in the case of my brother's friend. They probably could have cured him, instead of waiting until he was actually experiencing the effects of it. -Survival rates for cancer patients are much better today. In fact, generally they are pretty high and the more so the earlier something is detected and/or tested for.

And again: you may not even have it. My mum has had at least one test done for suspected cancer and it ended up not being cancer.


----------



## Maike (Sep 29, 2004)

It sounds interesting, I have never heard of this product before. When you think about it, so many pads and tampons would be getting disposed of every single day and this could affect that hugely. I guess the reason a lot of women haven't heard of this is because if it caught on then Libra and Stayfree might just be out of business.

I would be a bit worried about days when you had heavy flow but I think it's because I can't quite get my head around the way it works. Some women have stated that they went swimming while using it and it was fine.

Thanks for the info rusalka


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

RubyTuesday said:


> I suppose I am a little cautious, if not frigid, about trying anything that's possibly going to mess around.


there is nothing to using the cup that might mess you up. as long as one doesn't forget to sanitize at the end of cycle.



> Still, when it comes to a woman's period -I figure why mess around with what already works!? Sanitary pads are much better nowadays -they are heaps thinner and comfortable.


well, one of the reasons people switch is the environment. I heard that a woman will dispose of a whole room of napkins in her lifetime.



> And really, it's not enough of a bother for me to want to try something that's fussy and/or requires more attention or care.


I think it's very fussy in the beginning, during the first few cycles. After that I read it becomes like second nature. I don't know personally though, this is my first cycle on the cup.

Well, I was hoping for a better response to this thread. But what can you do - your body is your body.


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

Maike said:


> It sounds interesting, I have never heard of this product before. When you think about it, so many pads and tampons would be getting disposed of every single day and this could affect that hugely. I guess the reason a lot of women haven't heard of this is because if it caught on then Libra and Stayfree might just be out of business.
> 
> I would be a bit worried about days when you had heavy flow but I think it's because I can't quite get my head around the way it works. Some women have stated that they went swimming while using it and it was fine.
> 
> Thanks for the info rusalka


You're welcome Maike : -))


----------



## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

Lisa said:


> I am curious now. I have never seen them in a pharmacy in this country. Might order one on the internet.


look in those stores that sell a lot of natural health products. if whole foods has a pharmacy/health section they might have it, i got mine at a grocery store similar to whole foods here.


----------



## SeaShell (Dec 20, 2007)

Yikes! That thing looks scary. I never use Tampons so the thought of fiddling around up there with a giant cup thing makes my stomach churn.... :um


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

Anyway, I can see why women would be turned off by the thought of discomfort/too much effort/hassle/change (not that some of these things turn out to be true in the long run). 
But what baffles me is not wanting to touch oneself and deal with one's anatomy. (I'm not referring to posts here, but hearing stories of other women's reactions) 
This manifests itself in the desire to have applicators and disposable pads (re-usable, washable pads are a fine alternative :duck bleached doesn't equal clean!)

I think this has to do with feeling dirty and ashamed of one's sexual parts. Modern women actually believe that. It's tragic


----------



## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

rusalka said:


> I think this has to do with feeling dirty and ashamed of one's sexual parts. Modern women actually believe that. It's tragic


yup. i hear about that a lot. i find it strange because there's nothing wrong at all with becoming comfortable with your whole body yet a lot of females are afraid to. it comes up a lot when i hear girls describe masturbation about being "icky" or "weird", but for guys its okay. acftually, i think even girls are afraid to admit that they explore their bodies. i think thats a great thing and it might make you feel more confident and in touch with yourself in a way.


----------



## RubyTuesday (Aug 3, 2007)

rusalka said:


> Anyway, I can see why women would be turned off by the thought of discomfort/too much effort/hassle/change (not that some of these things turn out to be true in the long run).
> But what baffles me is not wanting to touch oneself and deal with one's anatomy. (I'm not referring to posts here, but hearing stories of other women's reactions)
> This manifests itself in the desire to have applicators and disposable pads (re-usable, washable pads are a fine alternative :duck bleached doesn't equal clean!)
> 
> I think this has to do with feeling dirty and ashamed of one's sexual parts. Modern women actually believe that. It's tragic


Um ...maybe it has to do with not wanting to fuss too much over something when what you use already is convenient enough and also just not wanting to insert any foreign object (and for a long period of time) within yourself!

It's actually more of a common sense reaction to be cautious regarding such a thing. I don't think it's about being 'ashamed' at all.


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

RubyTuesday said:


> rusalka said:
> 
> 
> > Anyway, I can see why women would be turned off by the thought of discomfort/too much effort/hassle/change (not that some of these things turn out to be true in the long run).
> ...


Hi Ruby : -)

What you're implying would be true 100% if it weren't for:

1. tampons - foreign object worn for a long time (over 2 hours and much longer)
2. applicators - it looks like some countries rarely carry tampons with applicators, like Norway (a woman on another forum told us this). Could it be that women in certain countries, like U.S. are much less comfortable with their anatomy?
3. I was chatting with other women who try to "spread the word" :lol and the response they frequently run into is "don't want to touch myself down there"

So maybe we're both right... :con


----------



## rusalka (Jan 12, 2004)

Aquarius girls rule :boogie Haha, just kidding


----------



## liarsclub (Aug 23, 2008)

> Aquarius girls rule :boogie Haha, just kidding


It's true though!...


----------

