1.You will save money.
One cup costs less than what most of us spend per month on tampons and pads (30 USD) and can last you up to 10 years according to some manufacturers.
2. Menstrual cups reduce waste.
No plastic applicators, no wrappers, no chemical byproducts from production, and no bio-waste from disposable menstrual products.
3. Effective protection for any amount of flow.
Cups do not leak any more than tampons or pads (Lancet study). Even better, they are one-size, so you no longer need an entire bathroom cabinet full of different sizes of tampons and pads.
4. Menstrual cups are compact, portable, and easy to travel with.
Who wants to fill up their suitcase or backpack with a week’s supply of tampons or pads if your trip corresponds with your time of the month? Pack a single menstrual cup and you are good to go!
5. Fewer trips to the bathroom.
Most women with regular flow can wear a cup for 12 hours without having to empty it. Menstrual cups hold up to 5 times the amount of liquid that regular tampons can.
6. No increased risk for vaginal infections.
The chemicals and materials in commercial menstrual products may increase the risk for yeast, bacterial infections, and vaginal irritation. Medical grade silicone is hypoallergenic and less likely to leave behind any residual fibers in your vaginal as tampons can.
7. You can reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals.
Pads and tampons contain plastic, dioxins, antimicrobials, rayon particles, and other materials that cause irritation of your vaginal skin and vulva.
If you wash your hands and grab a paper towel dampened with water, you can then empty and wipe out your menstrual cup in the privacy of your own stall in a public bathroom.
Menstrual cups leave the vaginal “ecosystem” intact without changing its balance of moisture, bacteria, or pH (acidity).
10. You can help other girls and women.
Several menstrual cup manufacturers offer one-for-one programs (like TOMS shoes) and will donate menstrual cups or contribute to charity foundations supporting women’s health and the environment. You can read about the options at Put A Cup On It.
It is time to start talking up menstrual cups to all of the women, girls, and transgender friends in your life. While menstrual cups are a safe and effective solution for period poverty and the burden of menstruation, they may not be available to women who need them most.
Maybe with greater financial success and public pressure, some of the producers of menstrual cups will donate more menstrual cups to women living in prisons, refugee camps, or poorer areas of the world with a scarcity of menstrual products or access to sanitation.
Do you use a menstrual cup? Would you encourage your daughter or your patients to use a menstrual cup? If no, tell us why in the comments below.
Source:
The Lancet, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30111-2