Yeah I learned about this in my human sexual behavior course and all I can say is EWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!! That seems so gross and I would feel disgusting....not mention wouldn't it smell funky!?! And you wouldn't be able to wear thongs/skirts/bikinis/short shorts if you were wearing this contraption!

I cannot recommend the cup highly enough! It's so easy to use and doesn't ever feel like it's drying you out.

And I don't know where clareberrys got that idea but you *absolutely* can wear thongs, skirts, etc with no problems (and with no string hanging out like tampons).

I was on board until you told me it's reusable. That just seems nasty to me. I do like the Instead (link to site: http://www.softcup.com/product/what_is_softcup.php). It's similar, but not reusable and is very clean!

i dunno! sounds a little out there!
cna you use it swimming too?

no thx!

Hmm. I'd be interested in just checking it out. I'm sure this is the way most women felt about tampons when they first came to be.

"You want me to put WHAT in my WHERE?!"

ehhh that scares me

I'm really squeamish about the female reproductive system, so when I first heard about the DivaCup I thought it was soooo gross. And maybe it still is, but I don't mind anymore. It's a hundred times more convenient, actually the same amount of mess as a tampon, and so discrete! There's no smell to worry about (on you or in the bathroom), which is not always true of pads and tampons. It's entirely internal, so you could run around totally naked if you wanted and nobody would know you were using it. It's economical, environmentally friendly, and can be used even during those days when you're expecting your period but not started yet (a blessing for gals with irregular cycles). It does take a little time to get used to using it, but it's definitely worthwhile.

ive done some research on this before and it sounds pretty cool, but when i saw it in person it was huge! i personally could not fit that comfortably inside of me, but those who have more err "accommodating" vaginas, they should definitely give it a shot. if you've already had children, this would work well.

I use it, and it's so great! I think it's pretty ridiculou how so many women don't want to touch themselves, or deal with the blood. It's sad actually, but it's the normal response I get when I tell people about the Diva Cup. Yes, it's reusable. It can last for years and years if you take care of it. I got mine for about $30, and think about how much money that's gonna save you! Plus, you're not throwing anything away, which is incredibly helpful for the environment. jnny, yes, it looks HUGE when you first get it, but they include a little insert on how to fold it and it fits just fine. You don't need a big ol' honkin vagina to get it to fit, since I think that's what you're trying to say. You don't worry about leaks, you literally cannot feel it, and there is no smell (unlike nasty pads/tampons). Don't knock it til you try it, it really is an amazing product, I just wish more women weren't so afraid of it. Feel free to email me if anyone has questions...

Lovely_1: You can use it during swimming and other physical activities and sports.

uhm . gross .

that is all

one more thing.. Do you wash it in the dishwasher? lol i kid i kid

No thanks. I think I'll use all the oldies but goodies for now.

I'm so glad you're telling people about this, Dear. I've used one before and loved it. Just so you know though, you may feel it while exercising.

I've used one too. Me and all my environmentalist friends in college were way into ours. We used to dump the fluid into our houseplants - supposedly it was good for them.

I can't say enough about how much I LOVE MY DIVA CUP! I've had mine for about a year now, and it's been the best choice for me, compared to tampons and pads that fill up landfills. I have a super light flow (and I've never had children), so this has been such a great alternative to using tampons that are painful to remove. I gave one to my best friend who has a flow like niagra falls, and she's so grateful for all the money she's saved from not buying tampons!

As to those who are skeptical, give it a try! I'm pretty sure that on the back of the box, it says that you can try it out and if you don't like it, you get a full refund. As for the blood, it's really not that bad. You'd be dealing with it anyway in a pad/tampon. Also, I never feel any discomfort, it sits comfortably until I'm ready to empty it, and then I wash it by hand.

To marcella: the whole point of using a diva cup versus tampons/pads is that it IS reusable. Why would we want another menstrual product to fill up the landfills? The diva cup is totally sanitary.

I agree with Marcella. INSTEADS are da bomb diggity. Yes, they aren't reusable, but you can have sex cleanly while it's inserted and is easy to insert and remove. It's not nearly as intimidating as the Diva Cup.

Sorry but landfills or not I would never use this.

I was super excited about this, but I didn't find it easy to use. In fact, I couldn't even um, get it to work--it's huge!! I should give it another try, but honestly I felt like it was trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

I wouldn't be opposed trying this out.

It's funny that people are freaking out about this so much. I don't eally get why it's so revolutionary or gross compared to tampons.

I bet twistandshout is right and people weren't initally accepting of tampons. Maybe over time people will warm up to the idea.

LMFAO at the "big honkin' vagina" comment.

Mine is quite normally sized, thank you, but old fashioned so there are significant psychological barriers to get past before I would ever consider using it. I had a friend try it who said when she went to empty it her bathroom ended up looking like a scene from Psycho. No thanks.

I think this is a cool idea. I'll have to check it out.

I've had one for two years. It's wonderful I will never go back to tampons again! They feel so gross compared to the Diva Cup.
I guess it is a little intimidating for those who are squicky about touching themselves... and I'm not going to get on my soapbox about that, but it's really not that bad! It's comfortable, you don't have to actually touch the blood, you can do everything you can do with a tampon but without the strings, and it doesn't hurt to pull it out if it's not full Thanks for talking about this Dear!!
Yeah, it does look pretty big, but you'd be surprised... you have to fold it up to get it in there, but I was a virgin when I started using mine and had no trouble at all. It might take a little practice and a little lubrication (water works well) to get it in the first time, but I swear it is every bit worth it.

wow ive heard of these but i didnt realise how many people used them!!! i may have to try it... eventually
Im just scared it will be messy andn im always so paranoid about tampons magically getting lost inside me... (its a mini phobia of mine) that i think the idea of losing this... would freak me out!

i looked this up and am seriously considering buying it.

i think a big reason women are so squeamish about this product is because we've been taught to think of our periods as something disgusting and thus, easily discardable with tampons and pads. we need to start seeing our periods as part of the natural flow of our bodies, not some disgusting "curse" as we commonly refer to it.

F*ck it, i'm buying one now!

I'm a little squimish when it comes to this type of stuff, but I'm willing to try this out.

Here are my questions...
1) Do I have to, eh hem, fish it out, or is there something I would pull on and voila it's out?

2) With tampons, I still have to wear a liner for those little "surprises" that find their way past the tampon, and it's absorband braid/string. Will this happen with this fancy cup?

3) If you have to empty it every so often, you can just wipe it clean right? Like I wouldn't have to take mine to the sink at work to rinse it out right?

Beaner ARE YOU SERIOUS???? YOU DUMPED THE FLUID INTO YOUR HOUSE PLANTS? That is absolutely appalling.

I was grossed out at the first thought of this too! But then was surprised how many people do it, read the website & now think it doesnt sound too bad... I thought there was more "fishing" involved than it seems like there is...

I have the same questions as kimdangirl!! Any answers?

ur_momm, I have the same phobia! lol

nicachica, I totally agree with you!

I'm considering trying one... I think I will go ahead and do it.

Hell to the no!

HA! I don't have a period because I take Lybrel - a continuous birth control! I save even MORE money because I have nothin' to stop up!

I can't handle tampons, I don't think I could ever get used to the idea of this

They are nonporous so they don't absorb bacteria, thus no infections (like TSS). Great idea, but I have yet to try this since I'm on continuous use of my birth control, so no periods!

Yuck!

The reason it works so well is because it uses suction. You can't pull it straight out, you have to break the seal. You pinch the very bottom of it to break the seal, then you pull it out, dump the fluid in the toilet, and either wipe it off and put it right back in, or if you're at home, wash w/ hot soapy water, dry the inside, and put it back in. I still wear a liner, but that's because my flow is insanely heavy and I'd rather be safe than sorry. But I'm using it right now, and I haven't had any leaks so far this cycle, it gets so much easier to put it in as time goes on. And to the person grossed out by the period fluid on the plants, it might sound gross, but it's incredibly good for the plants. Feel free to email me if you have any more questions ladies, I'm happy to help!! Oh, and here's a great site that shows the many ways to insert it. The cup they show is a Keeper, not a Diva.

http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/453392.html

urmom, there is no way it can get stuck in you, trust me. And yes, it might be a bit messier than tampons, but you have to wash your hands no matter what, right?

You all have the Diva Cup all wrong! It's really the best thing I've bought in a long time. It might look big in the picture, but it's certainly no bigger than a penis! And like others have said, it folds up when you insert it. You can't feel it at all, just like a tampon. I am a distance runner, and it is more than sufficient for sports, I can assure you.

To answer some of your questions, you do have to "fish" it out--this involves pushing it down with your muscles a bit and simply grasping the base.

I have a moderate flow, and I have not experienced any leaks. That's one of many things about pads and tampons I don't miss. If you have a really heavy flow, you might need back up, of course.

In regards to cleaning, I change mine in public bathrooms quite often, and you don't have to wash it in the sink every time. No one has to even know that you use it. I tend to just wipe mine with toilet paper and then give it a better rinsing when I have the chance. It can be boiled every so often as well. It's actually really clean and healthy for you.

I don't understand how so many people think this is gross! Is it grosser than seeing dried up blood on a tampon or pad? The Diva Cup is nice and smooth, it's comfortable, it doesn't smell, it saves me a small fortune, and it's not toxic. It's a fantastic investment. Don't be afraid of your own body

I have tried the Instead softcups, but they just didn't work for me. But I heard about the Divacup before and I have been wanting to try it, it seems like a great idea to me! Where can you get them though, it was hard enough to find Instead at the normal stores... :-/. I have never seen Divacup other than on the internet...?

You can usually get them at heath food stores that have a feminine hygiene section (Whole Foods has them, and usually any big Co-op's). You can order them online in many different place as well. If you buy it (from anywhere) and you don't like it, as long as you don't cut the little stem off, you can get a full refund. And there are 2 different sizes. Size 1 is for women under 30, that have never given birth, Size 2 is for women over 30, or women who have given birth. Good luck!

Thank you pinkerbell03!

I know that I have less cramps, less leaks, and waaaay more comfort with the Diva Cup than I ever had with tampons or pads. The only gross thing about it, to me, was at the beginning it was hard for me to get used to and it would get slightly messy.

I have superheavy periods, and, to put it nicely, it holds everything!

I can def. wear shorts, skirts, bathing suits, etc. with way more confidence than when I was using the tampon/pad combination. I seriously have told everyone I know about this. By everyone I know, I mean my closest girlfriends, but still.

And not to mention how much waste it reduces! No more icky things in the bathroom wastebasket, no more tampon applicators thrown away, no more flushed tampons...

Trust me, I thought the idea was somewhat gross at first, but once you're comfortable enough at handling it, it's the next best thing to not having a period. (To be honest, there have been times when I've forgotten that it was my time of the month!) I am actually a lot less grossed out by it than I was by tampons.

Also, they have two sizes, one for women over ...30? 35? or for women who have given birth, and one for women under that age who have not given birth. The only discomfort I ever experienced was that the "stem" was way too long for me, but after you cut it to the right size...perfect.

I mean don't get me wrong, I do not think that getting my period is a bed of roses now, but it is much, much better, and I have found myself cursing my femininity less and less.

And I didn't get paid by Diva Cup people to write this, lol.

P.S. Sorry, I know I repeated a lot of things tht have already been said, but I couldn't help myself

P.P.S. Before I started using the cup, I would buy huge amounts of tampons at a time--Tampax compact variety packages, to be exact. Some of them are still in their unopened boxes, but the rest are all wrapped. I have so, so many. I don't want to just throw them out, but I don't feel the need to have all these tampons taking up precious space...

Is there a way I could like, donate all these perfectly good tampons to people who need them? Are there organizations like that? Thanks in advance!

Isn't the whole point of a Diva Cup to save environmental waste, while the Instead Softcup is wasteful (less so than pads or tampons, but at least two are thrown out every day of one's period)?

Oh, yeah, I forgot to say, it does NOT smell! I was way more self-conscious about that when I was doing tampons and stuff, but the thought doesn't even cross my mind anymore.

every time i tell people about the divacup they think its disgusting. i like how its less wasteful and everything, and i dont think itd be any more "gross" than tampons?

I guess the only way it would be more "gross" than tampons is because it's reuseable... but I honestly don't even see the problem with that, it's easy enough to sterilize... 10 minutes in boiling water (some people add vinegar... the LiveJournal community pinkerbell linked to, http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/ , has a HUGE wealth on cups, everything from different methods of insertion, which is what she linked to, to different ways you can clean it) is how I usually do it, and I haven't gotten sick at all after 2 years of use
There are different types of cups out there... if I recall correctly, each cup has a somewhat different shape, so a different one than the Diva might work best for you. I strongly suggest you check out that LiveJournal community if you're interested!

The cup sits really low, so it won't get lost (it almost pokes out--the stem sometimes actually does poke out, which is usually what causes the discomfort; I found that just rounding the edges of the stem worked beautifully), and because it sits so low, it's easy to get out. You just have to push a little bit.

As for leakage... I'm just reiterating what's already been said, but the cup works through suction, so it really should not leak unless that suction breaks. Which, believe me, is REALLY noticeable!

I've heard of these before, considered trying them but decided not too (out of fear I'm sure lol)... but I'm going to go ahead and try a Diva Cup. Thanks to all who provided more info.

At first I went...ewwww. Gross! But then I started reading comments and I think I would try it. I might be a little squeamish about "dumping" it out. But who knows. Tampons are sometimes super painful depending if your flow has suddenly lightened. Anyone know any websites? How much do they cost?

It seems a little odd...I can't figure out how you'd get a cup of blood out of your vag without spilling it on the way out!...Is there anywhere online that you can get an animated example of how to put it in and take it out? I've thought about it but it seems to awkward especially if you have to empty it at work...ARGH