Keeper Vs. Instead?

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

I've been hearing a lot of discussion on this list lately about the Keeper, but very little to nothing about Instead (see http://www.softcup.com/faq.html). Has anyone tried both who can make a comparison?

I've been able to have intercourse with an Instead (though note man still has to wear a condom -- don't know if using a female condom would be better) and find that I forget it's there it's so comfy to wear. About the only drawbacks I can see is that the Instead is disposable and sometimes difficult to remove.

I look at the Keeper, and it looks like it might be easily dislodged by intercourse. And while it is reusable, I think infection is likely if I wasn't absolutely religious about cleaning it between reinsertions (which I'm not sure what that entails; sex toys require boiling and bleaching).

Thoughts, experiences, & comments appreciated. =)

Comments

[gezellig-girl.livejournal.com]

First off, I think the reason why I am drawn to The Keeper (as well as menstrual sponges and cloth pads) is that it is not diposable. Why do I want do I want to add to the pile of garbage I'm already producing (and adding to the amount sewage to be treated with flushable tampons) when I can buy one item to last me ten years?

Secondly, your vagina does a pretty good job at keeping itself clean and healthy. Think of the semen and cocks and fingers and sex toys and tampons that go in there all the time - unless you've got some problems with your immune system, you should be fine with The Keeper as long as it's cleaned bewteen periods. (And according to http://www.thekeeper.com : Between cycles, you should rinse The Keeper with sufficiently warm/hot water and soap or a mild vinegar solution. There is no need to boil or soak it.)

Lastly, although I can't find any information of wearing The Keeper during sex, by the shape of it, I don't think it would be that comfortable. But if you're using condoms, I don't see why you want/need to use both at the same time anyway, unless you're HIV+. I mean, it's just blood. * shrugs *

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

So far my partners aren't majorly squicked by blood, but I find the sensation of blood coming out of my canal while having sex a bit uncomfortable. I tend to avoid intercourse or any form of penetration the first day, and it isn't until the tail end of my cycle that I feel more comfortable with it.

As for my vagina keeping itself clean and healthy...well, I do have hypothyroidism, and that means my immune system isn't the strongest. I tend to get yeast infections and generalized bacterial infections easier than other women, and have to be careful about how much bread/cheese/sugar I eat. So how easy it is to clean the Keeper and prevent infection is very important to me.

[gezellig-girl.livejournal.com]

Well, The Keeper is rubber and it seems easy to clean. It's not porous, like a sponge, so it definitely won't trap any wee nasties in it. If you really tend to get yeast infections very easily, you might want to think about looking into cloth pads. You'd get the advantage of not having to put anything into your vagina, and you wouldn't have that non-breathable, clammy plastic pad action going on either.

I also forgot to mention - I did try Instead a while back, and I was so frustrated trying to get the things in right (it still seems awfully big to me), I just gave up.

[lique.livejournal.com]

Every faq on the product I've read does say clearly to remove it before intercourse ... which makes perfect sense, considering where it's suppose to be placed.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I know of at least two (http://www.livejournal.com/users/mactavish) people (http://www.livejournal.com/users/joedecker) who think the "female condom (http://www.femalehealth.com/)" rocks.

When I'm on my period and want to have sex with someone I'm fluid bonded with, we just use a towel underneath, though we simultaneously use a condom for contraception.

Instead is disposable, so is no more useful to me than a pad or tampon, as far my need to coddle my environmentalism goes. And when I'm bleeding at all, I'm bleeding so heavily that I can't imagine the Instead wouldn't leak during intercourse. (For about half my period, I'm at a bare trickle.)

I think that if I didn't want to have messy sex during my period, I'd have non-penetrative sex, and if I really wanted penetrative sex, I'd use the insertable condom (http://www.femalehealth.com/) and a towel.

Because I 1) lose things a lot 2) have a dog who can find anything made of plastic or rubber, anywhere I hide it, and chew it 3) only bleed heavily enough to use it two or three days out of a cycle, I'm probably not going to spend the money on a Keeper. It's expensive for someone like me.

[bonniebon.livejournal.com]

The keeper is placed low in the vagina, just past the muscles at the entrance, with the stem almost out, so it can't be worn during sex.
I've only used my keeper for one period but I love it already :)

I looked into the instead cup, but I think I would probably have problems inserting and removing it, as it needs to be placed high up in there! (I had a few problems getting my keeper out at first, and that is placed low).

I wouldn't worry about infections, one because it sits low in the vagina where any nasties will be cleaned out easily by your own fluids, and two because as long as you insert it with clean hands, and clean the keeper at least once a day with soapy water it should, in theory be fine. I cleaned mine with soapy water most times when emptying it, and other times just rinsed it.

As for sex, its easy to just pop it out for sex, then pop it back in again afterwards. Personally I like sex when I'm mestruating, I seem to be a lot more sensetive and reach orgasm easily (as opposed to the week of PMS before where I have no libido and sex does nothing for me at all!!) and the blood doesn't bother me or my other half really.

[marigold.livejournal.com]

I once had sex with the Instead cup in, and bled all over the front seat of my boyfriend's car (heh). It works when it's in right, but can be dislodged relatively easily, and then you've just got this cup of blood....

[jenx.livejournal.com]

My only problem with Instead was that it was too big. I'm not very big, and I was wishing it came in smaller sizes.

[melley.livejournal.com]

the first box of instead i had, i loved. it's been like a year since i ran out, though, and now for some reason i can never get them in right. i seem to have lost my knack, unless they're making them differently.

i've been meaning to try the keeper, but i haven't gotten around to it.

[mzungumkali.livejournal.com]

i haven't tried the keeper because i'm allergic to latex and that's the last place i want to have a reaction. i have sex with instead in all the time and have no problem. the key is to put in a new one before you have sex. so you aren't pushing up against a cup of blood. i do find i need to use lube, though, and i otherwise don't have to.

i have no problems removing it or putting it in. when talking about it, it seems like "damn, you got to shove that thing far!" but your vagina really isn't all that deep. i find they slip right into place and stay there. i leak a little when i go to the bathroom because i'm squeezing the muscles around it, but it goes right back where it's supposed to be and i've never leaked. to get it out, i just bear down like i'm trying to go to the bathroom, then i can put my finger around the rim and pull it straight out. no prob.