This is a post from my personal journal, but we want to spread the word

[leavesofgrass.livejournal.com]

So, I have been impatiently awaiting something for months now. It all began one night at The Fun Bar, when Dani dropped the bomb...she sports a DivaCup...in other words, she has a DivaCup all up in her for 4-8 days of month. She explained, and I listened.

To those who aren't following, and there must be some of you, I'll lay it out for you. When a girl/woman is "flowing" she typically has two choices: tampon or pad. As most people know, tampons can cause Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), on top of other annoying side effects, i.e. dryness, odor, leaking, and that pesky string that gets in the way of your butt naked picture shoots. The pad, on the other hand, raises an environmental concern...not like that tampon doesn't, but I'm trying to make this simple. Plus, most girls I know don't use pads because of annoyance, leaking, hygiene, other. On top of all of this crap to deal with, tampons and pads must be changed constantly. Let's face it, our periods rule, and ruin our lives. So why isn't there anything else? Wait, there is.

The DivaCup is a silicone cup that is placed in the vaginal canal for up to 12 hours at a time. It collects menstrual fluid, which can be emptied into the toilet and flushed. The cup then is washable and can be placed right back in your chonch. If this seems gross to you, realize this process only occurs 2-3 times a day, so if all else fails take a shower after you empty it. It lasts for years, so the $30 cup is a gawd-send for women tired of paying for dozens of tampons or pads every month. Oh yeah, did I mention, it doesn't leak!






So, I ordered a DivaCup, obviously. I haven't been blessed with the presence of my monthy visiter yet, and the greatest invention ever (the pill) tells me I have a couple weeks to wait, but I had to test it out. WIthout getting too graphic, I'll share my experience. I pull it out of the package, and immediately start to giggle uncontrollably. It is so hard, harder than I assumed, so I start to second guess. To insert it, I fold it like the diagram shows. It's hard to hold it in the folded position, especially while trying to push it up the gine. I'm assuming that when it pops open inside of me, it will be the worst thing ever, be immediately uncomfortable, and I'll be sad. To my surprise, I feel nothing. Once I start to walk around, I feel it a little, but it's really nothing. Actually, I started to get a bit randy from the feeling, but that just may be a fluke with my crazy body. So, I determined that I am A-OK with the DivaCup in me, so now I try the removal. This is definitely the hardest part, but I know I'll get the hang of it. The problem is, you are supposed to grab this little nub at the bottom and twist it out, but catching the nub without pinching umm, parts, is tricky. I grab more of the bottom of it and twist it out, wash it, and feel fine. In all, I'm super excited about it, and I think it's going to be the greatest thing ever.

So, if you are intrigued, look into it...you'll be surprised, it's amazing and women love it. Feel free to ask me questions or make comments, I want to what both men and women (moreso women) think of this.

www.divacup.com






p.s. If you're wondering why you haven't heard of a "menstrual cup" like this before, take a second and think of the economics of the disposable feminine hygiene industry.

again, the site is www.divacup.com

Comments

[fianna.livejournal.com]

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=menstrualhut&keyword=menstrual+cup&filter=all

Menstrual cups are actually quite popular in this community.

[leavesofgrass.livejournal.com]

that's awesome. I figured that would be the case. I didnt have time to read back through the entries, so I posted just in case. I really like the idea of your community, I'll have to read some of your discussions. Sorry I bored everyone, I have just recently become aware of the existence of menstrual cups, and I think they are something more women should know about(as I'm sure you and your community partners do as well). In my community of famiy and friends, no one had ever heard of such a thing and the idea of one wasn't easily taken to heart. I think that's unfortunate, so I doing my little part to get the word out there where I can. Maybe where I am, the Phoenix-Metro area of Arizona, this isnt as freely discussed as elsewhere. To your knowledge, is the menstrual cup well known to a big population of women? Sorry to bug you again, I am just new to this and I am trying to be an annoying advocate, so I want to know all I can.

[fianna.livejournal.com]

I doubt that the menstrual cup is well known to the majority of women although now there is the Instead Cup which is sold in stores along with pads and tampons so the idea of other menstrual products is at least growing somewhat. I personally hate the Instead cup because it was a pain to use and leaked every time I tried to take it out. A lot of people really love it.

One thing that I think is important to remember is that there will always be a large number of women who will be uncomfortable with the idea of using a menstrual cup.

hee hee... randy

[longpig.livejournal.com]

It kinds does that to me too, sometimes. :)

Re: hee hee... randy

[leavesofgrass.livejournal.com]

awesome...it has many blessings for us then.

[kelism.livejournal.com]

Okay, I read some of the stuff on the webpage

my question: how the hell could you take that out WITHOUT making a mess?

[kwokj.livejournal.com]

you do it over the toilet, or in the shower. it's not that bad really. They're kind of awkward in public restrooms since you have to rinse (some people bring a waterbottle into the stall, can't quite get my head around some seller's suggestion that you rinse it with your own urine) but since they hold so much, you can usually get away with inserting in the morning, and not emptying it until you get home, say, 12 hours later.