So What Is A Menstrual Cup?

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion at Drew about the failures and successes of the school. As much as we all hate the Commons, the unreasonable treatment we often receive from ResLife and Public Safety, and the fact that there’s still no soap in the bathrooms, my time at Drew has not, by any means, felt like a waste. Some students complain that there is nothing to do on campus. I don’t know about them, but nearly everyday, out of the deluge of campus wide emails, I manage to find at least one message advertising an event that strikes my fancy. I’ve attended some pretty awesome events over the past three years, learned some stuff I never would have learned in a classroom.

I can think of no better example of this than when I attended a menstrual health workshop in the fall of 2005. It was hosted by, I believe Earth House and Womyn’s Concerns House, and out of curiosity, I attended with my roommate. This is where I first learned about menstrual cups and reusable pads, and after coming home from the event, I googled them both extensively. I ended up receiving my menstrual cup a couple months later, as a Christmas present from my slightly confused but supportive parents. Since then, menstrual cups have become my obsession. I feel like a Born Again Christian, except my passion is periods, not Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior. I find myself proselytizing to anyone with a vagina who is willing to listen, and have converted a couple handfuls of friends and quadmates. So, if your mind is inquisitive, you probably have a couple questions.

• What the hell is a menstrual cup?

A menstrual cup is a small cup that is inserted into your vagina and holds menstrual blood. It can then be removed, dumped, cleaned, and reinserted. There are both reusable and disposable varieties (the Instead being the disposable variety, and DivaCups, Keepers, Lunettes, and Mooncups being the reusables). Aside from the Keeper, which is made of rubber, the other reusable cups are made of medical grade silicone, which is hypoallergenic and very durable.

• Why would you ever want to use one?

There are many different reasons why someone with a period would want to use one, but personally, I’m not fond of tampons or pads. I’m REALLY not fond of them now that I know what else is out there. The most basic reasons that I chose to try a cup out was that they are cheaper, better for the environment, and better for my body.

The initial cost of a reusable cup puts many people off at first, because they do cost more than a box of tampons. Generally, their price runs from about 20 to 35 dollars, depending on what deals you can find online. However, reusable cups pay for themselves quickly. It is a one-time investment, unlike disposables that you need to keep buying every month. A reusable silicone cup can last at least five years (although theoretically they can be used indefinitely. You just have to make sure not to drop it down the toilet or lose it). Some brands even offer a money back guarantee.

Because the cup is reusable, there is no waste produced. A woman will use an average of 17 shopping carts full of tampons or pads in her lifetime. That’s a lot of shit! Menstrual cups are much better for the environment. Wasting less and caring for the earth makes me feel good about myself!

Finally, menstrual cups are in many ways healthier for your vag. They don’t absorb your natural secretions (the ones that keep your vagina lubricated and self-cleaning), unlike tampons, which often come with the unfortunate side effect of absorbing EVERYTHING, not just blood. This results in a happier, healthier vagina, especially when coupled with the fact that it no longer has to worry about TSS (toxic shock syndrome), since silicone isn’t a hospitable environment for TSS bacteria to grow.

And if you needed more reasons to be convinced, there are plenty:

• You can keep your cup in for longer amounts of time than tampons; I’ve kept mine in for a full 24 hours before with no problems. Especially awesome if you have a light period.
• You’re not supporting huge, gross, profit-hungry corporations (who couldn’t care less about the women using their products)!
• You can sterilize your cup as often as you want. Just stick it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes and you’re good as new.
• You can feel more connected with your body and your period. Some people think it’s gross and not to be talked about or dealt with any more than necessary, but it’s empowering and just damn interesting to see what your body is actually doing. If you really were curious, in fact, you can measure how heavy your flow is (the cup has markers that show how many mL it contains).
• You can recycle your menstrual blood by making a water/blood mixture and watering your plants with it. I’m not even making this shit up. Plants love it, because menstrual blood is very nutrient-rich.
• If you have any problems or questions, there are tons of other cup users eager to help you out. I am one of them, but there is a livejournal community dedicated to cups and can be found here: http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/

That, in short (or not so short), is why I love my cup. And one reason why, when all is said and done, I can feel good about the things I’ve gained from my time at Drew.

-emily