I am really excited to post about the impact one change and one simple product has had on my body and mind, our wallets, and our waste footprint over the past few months. It is called the
MENSTRUAL CUP.
A few months ago, I think around May, I decided to finally invest in a menstrual cup that I have been reading about on various zero waste blogs (my faves:
Trash is for Tossers and
Zero Waste Home). In addition, I read blogs by female doctors who've written about this (i.e.,
Dr. Jen Gunter;
Cleveland Clinic) and read many of the comments and questions posted about the
Diva Cup on Amazon. My SO also kept encouraging me to try it :).
In the end, it became very clear to me that this product was worth a try. There are a couple different cups out on the market right now, but I ended up going with the
Diva Cup, because I could buy it at the local MOM's Organic Market.
So,
what is a menstrual cup? It is a cup that catches menstrual fluid. But it is so much more than that! Here are some of the incredible benefits I've experienced first-hand or found out about through online research:
- It is HEALTHIER for you:
- First thing's first, the products are FDA approved.
- Columbia University/Columbia Health reports that menstrual cups provide reduced risk of toxic shock syndrome or irritation, which may be caused by the bleaching of the absorbent fibers in tampons or the synthetic fibers themselves. Menstrual cups manufacturers make the same claims.
- It is really, truly, I can't say this enough, more COMFORTABLE:
- I waited to post about this until I had a chance to try it out for a few months and write from experience. I honestly LOVE IT! As long as it's properly inserted, and this isn't hard to do, it will mold to your body and fit like a glove. I live a pretty active lifestyle - walking, biking, running, rock climbing and swimming throughout the week - and I've never felt a discomfort with the cup during my menstrual cycle. It is really amazing and I can't imagine going back to pads and tampons.
- And if you don't believe me or need additional proof, the 2011 FLOW study by the National Institutes of Health, which compared the experiences of women using only tampons with women using only menstrual cups over a period of 3 menstrual cycles, showed that "Approximately 91% of women in the menstrual cup group said they would continue to use the cup and recommend it to others."
- Note: There are different sizes of menstrual cups, usually dependent on whether you're pre- or post-childbirth. Therefore, please research all the options to determine which size and brand best suits your values and needs.
- It is EASY TO USE:
- It's really easy to insert and take out, just make sure to read the manufacturer's instructions that describe which way the cup needs to be inserted and how. Cleaning is fast and easy when you're in a private bathroom. You dump the cup out in the toilet and then you rinse it with warm soapy water, and then reinsert it. Simple as that and no wrapping!
- The only awkward part comes when you need to clean the cup in a public restroom. I've also done this and it was fine. Basically you just have to make sure that you clean your hands before going into the bathroom stall. Take the cup out, dump the contents in the toilet, wipe it out with toilet paper, and reinsert it for the rest of the day.
- It is REUSABLE:
- It lasts up to 12 hours before you need to empty it out and wash it with warm soapy water. At the end of the cycle it should be cleaned in boiling water. The FDA recommends replacing your cup every 2-3 years, but many of the blogs and comments I've read on Amazon say it can last up to 10 years with proper care.
- It REDUCES LANDFILL WASTE:
- Lunette estimates that a over 24 billion (yes, that's BILLION) menstrual products are used annually across the globe. Dr. Gunter notes that "In the U.S. alone we dump 12 billion pads and 7 billion tampons every year; because tampons are often flushed applicators frequently wash up on beaches. A reusable menstrual cup is clearly a more green alternative."
- Note: So far I've come across three manufacturers: the German and Kenyan Ruby Cup, the Finnish Lunette Natural Cup, the Canadian Diva Cup. All three products are made out of silicone, which requires the use of fossil sources such as petroleum and natural gas to produce. Therefore it isn't 100% sustainable, but it's much less wasteful considering the alternative - billions of pads and tampons being dumped every year.
- It SAVES MONEY:
- Compare a one-time $25-$40 purchase every few years with a purchase of an average of 13-22 traditional menstrual products/cycle or 169-286 traditional products/year. If we assume that a package of 40 tampons or pads comes out to an average of $7, that will cost you anywhere from $35 to $84 per year.
So there you have it! To all the ladies out there who are menstruating, I sincerely hope you look into this and maybe even give it a try. :)
Happy waste-free menstruation or moon cycles!
Modern-Akhmatova
