What Is a Menstrual Cup?

Menstrual cups are an eco-friendly alternative to pads and tampons. An increasingly growing sector, the menstrual cup has increased in popularity over recent years and has resulted in a boom of different types and brands popping up on the market. Instead of absorbing your menstrual flow like tampons and sanitary towels, the menstrual cup acts to catch your flow so that you can dispose of it in a more eco-friendly manner.

A relatively easy to use contraption, the menstrual cup is folded and inserted much like a tampon. Once inside it will open up to act as a ‘cup’ and catch your flow. Once it has opened, the menstrual cup should form a seal around the walls of your vagina meaning there will be no leaks. When it is correctly inserted, you shouldn’t be able to feel a thing and to remove it you simply need to pull the stem on the bottom of the cup and pinch the base to release the seal. You can then empty the menstrual cup, wash it with soap and water and then re-insert it. After your cycle finishes, you should sterilize it and keep the menstrual cup in a clean, dry environment ready for your next period.

Although they were first invented in the 1930’s the menstrual cup is still a very small section of the sanitary market, mainly due to there not being much advertising around the product. Usually being made out of rubber or silicone, most women that use them have found out about them through word of mouth or on the internet.

While it is a relatively small portion of the market, menstrual cups offer some significant advantages compared to the more mainstream tampons and sanitary towels. Some of these benefits are:

• They’re eco-friendly. In the same way that more and more people are using cloth nappies over disposable ones, the menstrual cup means we don’t need to use disposable sanitary items that can only go to the landfill.
• At the same time, you can save a whole lot of money by using a menstrual cup. With a good quality cup lasting for 10 years, that’s 10 years worth of sanitary towels and tampons that you don’t need to be buying. So they are budget-friendly!
• You can leave it in for 12 hours which means you don’t need to worry about having to sneak off to the toilet at work. As most tampons need to be changed between every 4-8 hours, you will feel a lot more comfortable with the time span you can keep your menstrual cup in for.

Menstrual cups might not be the most fashionable sanitary product on the market but they are highly effective and a great way to save money. Whether you’re looking at it from money, environment or ease of use angle, there are lots of reasons to try out menstrual cups. If the first one you try doesn’t feel right just remember, they come in all shapes and sizes.

Not the menstrual cup type? Check out PantyProp Period Panties to help stop leaks and stains.

#menstruation #period #natural