Menstrual Cup

March 11, 2022

Menstrual Cup

Today I want to talk to you from my experience using the menstrual cup.

The menstrual cup is an alternative to using sanitary pads or tampons. Its popularity has increased in recent years, not only for its comfort but also for its contribution to the environment, since it does not leave polluting residues.

This small cup creates a vacuum in which period fluids collect and must be removed and cleaned every 8 to 12 hours. It is usually made of harmless materials such as medical silicone, latex or medicinal elastomer, among others.

At first I thought about it 4 times before ordering my first menstrual cup, I had a lot of uncertainty and too many doubts. But I started researching and reading articles based on clinical evidence, blogs, opinions, videos on YouTube, anyway, I did my homework well... and ordered it.

Today after 2 years of being a faithful user and I want to share the advantages and disadvantages of using it:

Despite its price, which is usually on average $18, depending on the type of kit, the menstrual cup is still a good investment, since both pads and tampons are disposable, while the cup can be used once. and again.

In fact, it has a useful life of approximately 10 years, depending on the care given to it. Thus, the money you invest in buying it, you will recover it in three or four months.

When using pads and tampons, thousands of tons of waste are produced that take 150 to 160 years to disintegrate. On the contrary, a woman will only need a few menstrual cups throughout her life. This means that thousands of tons of waste are not produced and contribute to the environment.

Thanks to the properties of its materials, the menstrual cup attracts less bacteria than tampons. In addition, it does not dry out, irritate or mistreat the vaginal area and helps maintain the balance of its microbiota.

In this sense, it can be said that the menstrual cup prevents the appearance of infections and the toxic shock that tampons can produce. This is because the silicone from which it is made is inert and does not contribute to the proliferation of germs, if it is cleaned properly.

The menstrual cup can be used for long periods of time, depending on the flow of the person. Normally, it can be used between 8 and 12 hours and can even be used overnight or when performing high performance and flexibility exercises.

Tampons are made from processed synthetic chemicals like dioxin, which can be harmful to your health. These are toxic substances that are produced unintentionally in processes that handle chlorinated substances, including bleached paper, tampons, or cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.

In relation to this, a publication of the World Health Organization comments that this substance is highly toxic and can affect the immune system and interfere with the functioning of hormones.

Among the disadvantages:

Every woman is different, and that is why there are different sizes of menstrual cups. The size will depend on the age, physical constitution, the amount of flow or if she has had children by natural birth or not. The problem is that in some cases these specifications do not turn out to be so precise. And they translate into wrong choice of size and menstrual leaks on occasions or discomfort.

Although the way it is put in is similar to that of the tampon, the first few times it can be a bit awkward to place it properly. Also, if it is not placed correctly, there can be a risk of uncomfortable drips. You have to have a lot of patience to learn how to place it, but the good thing is that once it is achieved, everything begins to become much easier, and this is where you have to investigate and try again and again until you achieve it.

The menstrual cup is reusable and must be changed after a certain time. This includes washing it with water and neutral soap. The problem is that if you are not at home, this process can become complicated. To avoid this, you can change it before leaving home and wash it right there and not in a public place.

Every month, once your menstrual cycle is over, it should be disinfected. This is achieved by boiling it in water for 5 minutes or buying it with its sterilization kit, to clean it and avoid risks. In addition, each change requires good hand hygiene to handle it properly and prevent internal infection.

And finally the cup works by vacuum sealing. Some women do not realize that it is necessary to pinch the lower part of the product to break the vacuum it creates. Otherwise, the experience of using it will be uncomfortable.

In summary:

The menstrual cup is an innovative alternative for women and, to date, it is presented as a risk-free product. Although it has numerous advantages, it is also necessary to know that it is a product that requires a lot of cleaning and knowledge to use it properly. I wouldn't change it for anything today and it really has been incredible in every way, it was hard for me at first to learn how to use it, but as I said: "Experience makes perfect".

In any case, if you have any doubts about it, consult your gynecologist or specialist doctor to check if this product can be useful to you or not.

Here I share the link where I bought my kit:

https://amzn.to/3CzfH9j

**Mi Tienda**

https://www.amazon.com/shop/draliciah

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