Should You Try a Menstrual Cup?
New options that offer convenience, comfort, and freedom for menstruating women are now available. One game-changing product is the menstrual cup. While it has been around for awhile, it' not a well known option, and some women are dubious of its value.
Made of silicone, the cup is shaped like a bell and sits in the vagina collecting menstrual fluid during menstruation. Women pull out the cup and empty it as needed, and put it back in the vagina until the cycle is over.
Benefits of the menstrual cup include:
- Safety
- Environment-friendly
- Inexpensive; the reusable cup can cost $30-$40 and last up to 10 years
- Long-lasting; the cup can stay in the vagina for 12 hours because it holds more liquid than a tampon or pad
- Less odor
Melanie Harker, MD, a women's health provider at Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ of Utah Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ, encourages women to become familiar with their bodies.
"If you know your personal landscape, you have a lot of freedom and have more choices," she says.
According to Harker, the only cons associated with the cup would be due to user error.
"Make sure you take it out and empty it often so it doesn't overflow," she advises. "Forgetting to take it out can also cause an overwhelming odor."
For many women, the menstrual cup and other new products alike offer more than convenience and affordability—they offer freedom.
