If you wanted an all-around article that would cover everything you need to know about menstrual cups, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will cover all the basics of choosing a proper menstrual cup. At the same time, it will give you some very useful tips on how you can choose the best one.
Before we move on, we’d like to warn you that, in case you’re a sensitive girl (or woman), you should stop reading the guide right now. In the lines below, we will discuss some touchy subjects, such as the vagina, for instance. If you don’t like reading about these things, you should instantly close this page. Otherwise, if you have no issues with subjects like these, feel free to proceed.
There are so many different menstrual cups to choose from, and it’s not easy to get the right one. But, with the help of this guide, you will know exactly what to look for. At the same time, you will also have a reasonably good understanding of what menstrual cups really are.
Let’s get started!
Have you heard of menstrual cups before?
It’s actually quite surprising that many people have never heard of menstrual cups before. It’s a well-established concept, and yet, many people are not familiar with it. You will even struggle to find many online guides related to this topic. But, of course, you have us by your side, and we will do our best to provide enough information so that you don’t have to look for alternative sources.
Menstrual cups have quite a long tradition – the first prototype was made back in 1932. But, even though they’ve been present on the market for quite a long time, they never became popular enough among women. That is exactly why many people are still not familiar with them.
Tampons and pads were the industry favorites from the very beginning. As the manufacturers can easily use the money that comes from the revenues in order to create even more aggressive campaigns that will…. well, make you buy them even more often in the future. And, as typical menstrual cups last ten years on average, it’s obvious that their makers don’t have a huge interest in improving their popularity. Even from a sellers’ perspective, it makes much more sense to focus on a product that people will buy every month rather than a product that can last up to a decade.
However, as a consumer you can make a difference – spread the word and inform your friends and relatives about how awesome menstrual cups can really be. And, if you want to be even more convincing with the right info, keep reading!
So, what is actually a menstrual cup?
A menstrual cup is a natural (and cost-effective) feminine hygiene solution. Unlike the more contemporary products like pads or tampons, menstrual cups are eco-friendly and biodegradable. In other words, they’re not toxic, and they cannot pollute your environment. Whenever you are menstruating, all you need to do is insert the cup into your vagina to collect incoming blood.
Menstrual cups got their name exactly from their ability to gather blood. You don’t need to use this product to absorb the blood pools (as you would normally do with tampons, for example). All you need to do is collect blood until the cup is empty. And yes, you can even reuse this product if you wish. Isn’t that awesome?
Pros and cons
No product is perfect and, naturally, menstrual cups have their own advantages and disadvantages. But, when you examine both sides, it’s very clear who the winner here is.
We will now examine all the enormous upsides that you can get by using menstrual cups. If you were not familiar with the topic before, you will surely find the following lines interesting.
Practical advantages
- You can use the product for quite a long time. Unlike pads and tampons, you can use menstrual cups for a really long time. You can even reuse them if you want. So, getting a menstrual cup is always a good investment.
- You will find no additional strings. Menstrual cups have no additional wings and strings, so they’re a perfect choice if you lead an active lifestyle. No matter what kind of physical activity you’re into, these cups will have you covered.
- You can easily carry menstrual cups wherever you go. If you’re a frequent traveler, you can easily carry these cups with you. No matter if you’re going on a holiday or a business trip, menstrual cups will be there to help you out.
- Menstrual cups have a very high absorbing capacity. In fact, they have five times higher absorbing capacity than the regular tampons. They can absorb every single blood pool in a typical menstrual cycle. When you try them once, it’s very hard to go back to classic pads and tampons.
- They allow you to focus on your work assignments. Probably the single most practical thing about menstrual cups is that they will not distract you. You can do your job normally without paying attention to this addition, and that’s a really huge advantage compared to their counterparts. One menstrual cup is all you need.
Health advantages
There are many health benefits that you can get from menstrual cups. For instance, you won’t find any harmful substances in these products. Forget about adhesives, fragrances, and chlorine – you won’t see any of that here. Also, unlike pads and tampons, menstrual cups have not been associated with TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome). Moreover, they are entirely hypoallergenic, and they can even boost your overall health.
We can conclude that menstrual cups are surely a great solution if you care about your body’s health (and you definitely should!).
Price advantages
The fact is that menstrual cups are much more cost-effective than pads and tampons. While they may seem more expensive at first, you will save a lot of money in the long run. After all, as we mentioned above, one menstrual cup can last up to 10 years (on average). Think about all the pads and tampons that you bought last year and calculate the cost.
As you can see, investing in a menstrual cup is never a bad idea.
Environmental advantages
As menstrual cups are eco-friendly and they don’t pollute the environment, it’s clear that we have another huge benefit laid in front of us. Moreover, if you’re looking for another reason why you should use menstrual cups, remember that they are reusable and, as such, do not create any toxic waste.
What are the disadvantages?
Just like any other product, menstrual cups have their own disadvantages too. Of course, the number of advantages is far superior, but we have to note the cons as well. After all, the main point of our guide is to be as objective as possible.
So, here are all the disadvantages that you can expect with this product:
The learning curve is too steep
Compared to tampons, for example, you’ll need some time to adapt to menstrual cups. They’re not as simple to use as you may think.
They are too messy
The most annoying thing about menstrual cups is that they can easily mess up your hands while dealing with them. If you’re not experienced with the product yet, you will find yourself washing your hands much more often than you’d like it. It’s not a big deal but, as we said, it can be very annoying.
The cups can be overwhelming if you’re too young
The cups can be very hard to deal with even if you have some experience but, if you’re young and you have no experience at all, they can be truly overwhelming. If you’re not careful enough, you may even break your hymen. You shouldn’t hesitate to look for assistance if you feel the need for it. It can be very embarrassing, yes, but it will help you a lot in the beginning.
They’re not a good match for everyone
The truth is, menstrual cups are not made for everyone. In case you have benign tumors (fibroids) around the walls of your uterus, you will have a really hard time with the cups.
You need to maintain them intensively
It’s not really a huge downside, but we had to mention it. You need to maintain your menstrual cups very often if you want them to be durable. We recommend washing them after every cycle in order to unlock their full potential.
