In a world of fast fashion, palm oil and David Attenborough, I’m a typical millennial – vacillating between a vegan owner of reusable coffee cups and a drunken buyer of chicken nuggets. But the news that the plastic in a pack of sanitary napkins is the equivalent of four single-use bags is sobering, even if it doesn’t come in Dave’s mellow tones. Enter: the menstrual cup.
You probably remember that it was the menstrual fix that set off the loudest chorus of ‘eww’ during sex. The silicone cup became popular about 20 years ago and was designed to sit in your vaginal canal and collect your menstrual blood instead of absorbing it. Presented with a solution that avoids the tremendous environmental impact, I decide to give it a try and start with a menstrual cup.
CONTINUE READING: Is It Safe To Have Sex With A Menstrual Cup?
Leaky start
My first impression is in the direction of ‘square peg; round hole ”- it looks huge next to a tampon. I study diagrams before I feel confident enough to try it out. The first time I set it too high. Since it works by creating a seal on your duct wall, it can cause leaks.
I first discover my mistake after training and the leakage of my leggings (if used correctly, a menstrual cup can be worn during training). To be fair, the instructions specifically state not to insert it too high – it sits much deeper than a tampon – and with the help of an online tutorial, I get it right the second time (I know because I can’t feel it can.) at all). After a few toilet checks, I feel pretty safe and leave it in at work all day, completely eliminating the need for a tampon-up-the-sleeve situation. How often you empty it depends on your period – four hours for heavier ones, up to eight hours for lighter ones – and although I preferred to change it at home, it’s portable – just empty it into the toilet and flush it out before you do it again put in.