Menstrual Cups – The Future Of Period Safety And Hygiene

Using Menstrual Cups can be a little tricky so here is a full guide to using menstrual cups and their benefits.

Menstrual cups are reusable, flexible, funnel-shaped cups made of medical-grade latex rubber or silicone that can be inserted into the vagina for collecting menstrual fluid. They have been around since the 1930s but were not used widely because of doubts over inserting them correctly and the early rubber models. 

Today they have become popular mainly due to the fact that they are absolutely leak-free. Wow, Sirona, Pee safe and Rustic art are some of the Indian brands that make menstrual cups that mostly come in two sizes- small and large. 

These cups come with a cloth storage bag and the price range is between Rs. 500 – Rs. 2000. It is recommended that teens and women below 30 years should use the smaller one and above 30 years the bigger sized cup. The size is also recommended for women who have given birth and women who have moderate to heavy menstrual flow.

Benefits of using a menstrual cup

There are many benefits of using a menstrual cup vis-à-vis a tampon or a sanitary napkin:

•       The most important of them is that it is reusable and can be used for up to 10 years
•       Since it is reusable, it is environment-friendly.
•       It saves you cash each month since you do not spend money to buy napkins/ tampons.
•       It is a leakage-free alternative to the traditional napkin or tampon
•       It can be worn for 12 hours at a stretch before the need to empty it as compared to a napkin or tampon that can be worn for only 4-8 hours
•       It does not dry out your vagina or cause rashes, allergies and itching that many women experience with traditional alternatives
•       Menstrual cups eliminate the issue of odour since the fluid discharged is not exposed to air
•       Most women don’t even feel that are using cups during menstruation

Steps to using a menstrual cup

1.     Wash your hands and nails clean before handling a menstrual cup
2.     Move into a squatting position or put on leg up or sit on the toilet with both knees apart
3.     To insert the cup, fold or squeeze the cup so it’s easier to insert in the vagina
4.     The cup pops open inside the vagina and creates a suction that holds it firmly in place
5.     To remove the cup, pinch the bottom of the bell-shaped cup to release the suction and remove it
6.     Empty the cup, wash it properly and insert it again. And voila! It’s done.

Watch this video from Kya Tum Jaanti Ho series with Pooja Priyamvada for more information on menstrual cups.

To know if the cup is the right size for you, you probably will have to wear it for a couple of periods. If there is any leakage, it means that either the cup has not been inserted properly or the size of the cup is smaller for your menstrual flow. In that case, either empty the cup every 4-6 hours or switch to the bigger size cup. A cup normally can carry 10-38 ml of blood. If the cup is worn correctly, it does not feel like one is wearing a cup.

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However, menstrual cups should be avoided by women who are allergic to latex or silicon. Or those who have recently undergone any gynaecological surgery.

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