Benefits of the Menstrual Cup

Women have been using tampons and pads during their monthly cycles for decades. Often uncomfortable, and for some women unreliable, pads and tampons have remained the products women most use. What if there was something better? What if there was something that was safe, reliable, and easy to use? How many women would be willing to give up their traditional tampons and pads for something many claim is a far better option? A menstrual cup provides comfort and ease of use for a women on her period. The cup does not pose any potential health risks like tampons do, and collects the blood as opposed to absorbing it, lessening the chance of embarrassing leaks. If you had all the information, would you be willing to switch to a menstrual cup?

Tampons have long come with a warning label about Toxic Shock Syndrome. But what IS Toxic Shock Syndrome, or TSS? Toxic Shock Syndrome is a bacterial infection in the vagina, associated with prolonged tampon use. It is more prevalent when women use the super absorbency, or greater, and leave the tampon in for several hours at a time. While women may feel they are not in great danger of suffering from this, it is a real concern, as it can be life-threatening.

Symptoms of TSS include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, sore throat, confusion, and a dropping in the blood pressure. The toxins which are created by the bacteria are what adds the potential for loss of life, not the bacteria itself, so women may be lulled into thinking a simple infection could certainly not kill them. TSS is very real, and can be dangerous. The menstrual cup is made of silicon, and does not pose any potential health concern. It does not tear or rip the vaginal walls like tampons often do. It slides in and out with ease, and stays in place until the woman removes it.

Unlike tampons, pads do not come with a particular health warning, but rather, are often deemed uncomfortable and unreliable. Women have nightmares about the moment a pad will shift and fail them, usually when they are out in public. The constant anxiety about using pads is what usually leads women to opt for tampons in the first place. No one, especially in today’s day and age, wants to be worried about pads impacting their daily routine. Women today go from home to work, school to sports, and everywhere in between. We have no time to stay home during our periods, and we should not have to worry about our feminine hygiene products failing us during our busy days.

The menstrual cup is the new wave of feminine product taking the world by storm. It is easy to use, safe, and collects your flow instead of absorbing it. This is important because, as we all know, once a product has absorbed to a point, it stops. Women are left in vulnerable, embarrassing positions every month due to failed products. The menstrual cup alleviates that.

A menstrual cup can be left in far longer than any pad or tampon can be used. If a woman experiences heavy flow she will want to remove, empty, and rinse the cup every 12 hours, approximately. A woman with a lighter flow can wait far longer. The cup is fine to use throughout your entire cycle, with ease.

There are other benefits to using the cup too. With less tampon and pad usage comes less landfill waste. Also, no more embarrassing period odor. Since the cup does not allow any air flow, there is no odor released. Another benefit is pH balance. Tampons have been shown to disrupt the natural pH balance of the vagina, soaking away the positive bacteria along with the blood flow, leaving our body off balance. The menstrual cup does not do this, and rather, leaves the vagina as it should be, only collecting the monthly flow. Also, while the cup does cost more up front, the savings women experience will astound. The cup more than pays for itself after a few months.

With all the positives, and none of the negatives, it is a wonder women use pads or tampons at all anymore. While yes, it is what we have grown up using and what is familiar to us, our traditional products do come with a risk. Plus, imagine what we are doing to our planet as our female population increases and we throw away more and more products. The menstrual cup is a safe, easy to use, cost-efficient alternative. Women should feel comfortable trying out the menstrual cup to see how amazing it is in comparison. Just because we are familiar with the old, outdated methods does not mean we should turn our backs on something new. Give the menstrual cup a try, and you will probably be hooked.