Here it is, lucky readers! Your questions answered by a proud user of the DivaCup. Emily Gordon first tried this alternative menstrual product two years ago, and hasn’t looked back since. Read on to hear her advice and experience on using, cleaning and learning to love your cup.
Hannah: Why did you decide to get a menstrual cup?
Emily: Well, when I first learned about it from a friend I was disgusted with the idea of dealing with menstrual blood and a reusable cup. But then a couple years later I took a Women’s Studies class where I learned more about the details of the cup and the benefits of using one, and the idea became much more interesting to me. I was especially struck by the way tampon companies build consumer loyalty and suck buyers in – how if you buy their product once, you will buy it for life. I didn’t like the idea of corporations using my natural body cycle as a money-making endeavor. My Women’s Studies class helped me to see that there are options outside of the more mainstream menstrual products. When I actually thought about the DivaCup more critically, I realized that almost every woman has a period so there should be nothing gross about it! We all bleed, it all looks and smells and feels the same – it’s what we all experience! So why be disgusted?
Hannah: Why did you choose the DivaCup rather than the Keeper?
Emily: Actually I just learned about the DivaCup first, but if it had been the other way around, I might have picked the Keeper instead. Really, it was the benefits compared to tampons that I cared about. Any menstrual cup has huge cost benefits, health benefits, environmental benefits – that’s what sold me. Not necessarily the brand name. I just came across it first. I guess maybe color could have been a deciding factor if I was doing it again – I like the clear option better than the brown.
Hannah: What was it like, using the DivaCup for the first time?
Emily: Well, not so great at first. I remember I was really nervous trying to put it in; my muscles were too tight and I couldn’t insert it comfortably. I actually had to get my friend from down the hall to come talk me through it. She helped remind me to breathe slowly and relax my muscles, and with her coaching I was able to get it in. In retrospect, it was the dialogue that was really powerful! How two women can bond over their periods and have an open conversation on menstruation – that is one of the greatest things about DivaCup: Normalizing society’s ideas about bleeding.
After that first time it was pretty easy to put in. Just remind yourself to breathe and relax – sometimes closing your eyes and thinking about where the cup needs to sit – but mostly remembering each time that you need to be relaxed.
Hannah: Can you feel the cup inside you?
Emily: No. Unless it’s in wrong, you can’t feel it in the least. And you can do whatever you want in it – run, swim, do yoga, whatever.
Hannah: Does it leak?
Emily: Occasionally I have had some spotting if the cup isn’t fully suctioned into place inside my vagina, or if it’s tilted too much. Or if I’ve left it in longer than 12 hours. But otherwise, no problems. You might want to wear a panty-liner the first time you have it in, if you are worried.
Hannah: How do you clean it?
Emily: After I remove it, I just dump it out into the toilet, rinse it in the sink and put it back in. At the end of each month, after your period, it’s important that you disinfect it more thoroughly. You can boil it to kill bacteria, which I prefer because it means you don’t have to deal with soap residue.
NOTE: The DivaCup website recommends slightly different cleaning procedures than this experienced DivaCup user practices. It’s important you find a sanitation method that is efficient and effective for your lifestyle.
Hannah: What do you know now about the DivaCup that you wish you’d known earlier?
Emily: I know that it’s definitely a learning experience to be up close and personal with your menstrual cycle. And that sometimes it takes a little more critical consumer thought, research and open-mindedness to find the product that is right for you, but it is so worth it. I’m so glad that there are alternatives to the mainstream, and I love my DivaCup!
There you have it! The lowdown from a real woman/Diva. I’ll keep you updated on my first experiences with the cup soon.