How to use a Menstrual Cup?


Everyone who gets their period wants to handle it in a way that is both comfortable and clean. When it comes to sanitary products, people typically use tampons and pads. However, a growing number of women believe menstrual cups are a superior period solution, and the results of a recent thorough study support this opinion. One kind of washable feminine hygiene item is the menstruation cup.

You place a tiny, flexible cup—shaped like a funnel—made of silicone or rubber—into your vagina to trap and collect menstrual fluid. Since cups can store more blood than other devices, many women choose them as a more sustainable option for tampons. Depending on your flow, a cup can be worn for up to 12 hours. Generally, women under 30 who haven’t given birth vaginally are advised to use smaller menstrual cups. Women over 30, those who gave birth vaginally, and those who experienced heavier periods are frequently advised to purchase larger sizes.

Benefits

  • Capacity to hold more blood

  • They are safer

  • They’re reasonably priced

  • They are environmentally responsible

  • Including an IUD, a cup is OK

  • Having sex is possible.

Drawback

  • Disposing of cups can be untidy

  • Inserting or removing them can be challenging

  • Finding the ideal fit can be complicated

  • It could aggravate vaginal itchiness

  • An elevated probability of infection may exist

  • You might be sensitive to the substance

Using Menstrual Cup

It's possible that your first experience with a menstrual cup may be a little embarrassing. However, "lubing" your cup might make a complicated procedure much easier to complete. Before entering the cup with water or a lubricant based on water, make sure the rim of the cup is loosened (lubricant). It is a lot less difficult to insert a menstrual cup if it has been wet beforehand.

Steps to Utilize

  • Your hands should be completely cleaned.

  • Moisten the top of the cup with water or a lubricant made from water.

  • Holding the menstrual cup with the open end facing up, firmly fold it in half with the other hand.

  • Frame up, insert the cup into your vaginal opening as you would a tampon without an applicator. Put it a couple inches below where your cervix would normally be.

  • After inserting the cup, turn it around in your vagina. When opened, it forms a tight seal that prevents any further leakage.

If the menstrual cup has been put appropriately, you should not feel it. Additionally, your cup shouldn’t spill while you wander, hop, squat, raise, or engage in other common activities.

Situation: It is possible to use a menstrual cup for anywhere between six and twelve hours at a time, but the length of time you are able to do so is contingent on the intensity of your period. You should thus take a cup with you whenever you go out at night for the sake of self-defence. If you've been using a menstrual cup, you need to remove it after you've gone past the 12-hour mark so that it doesn't become contaminated. In order to stop any leaks from occurring, you need to empty it as soon as possible if it becomes full before the permitted time.

Retrieving Menstrual Cup

  • Completely clean your hands.

  • Put your index finger and your thumb inside your vagina. You must carefully squeeze the cup’s stem to access the bottom.

  • Press the base to break the barrier, then pull the cup down to remove it.

  • When it’s finished, pour the cup into the toilet or the bathroom.

Before being reinserted into your vagina, reusable menstruation cups should be washed and thoroughly cleaned. At least twice every day, you should empty your cup. With appropriate care, reusable menstruation cups are strong and can last anywhere between six months and ten years. Once removed, discard the disposable cups.

Menstrual cups are generally safe, according to the statistics, although there are some unknown hazards. Five incidences of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) related to menstruation cups have occurred. TSS is an uncommon, serious illness brought on by a bacterial infection. When used with an IUD, menstrual cups could cause additional issues.

Naming some Menstrual Cups

  • Since 2003, women everywhere have had access to Diva Cups. Silicone used in medical applications is devoid of chemicals, plastics, dyes, and bisphenol A. When compared to pads and tampons, Diva Cups are superior since they may be used for up to 12 hours. Comparatively, a regular tampon can only hold 5 mL of menstrual fluid, whereas an adult Diva Cup can hold at least 1 ounce (30 mL). There is no additional risk of infection while using a menstrual cup instead of pads or tampons. Diva Cups don't leak, allowing you to do all your favourite activities while wearing them, including swimming, yoga, running, sleeping, and more. Use it just when you are bleeding. If cared for correctly, Diva Cups may be used for years instead of the disposable products often associated with feminine hygiene.

  • The Lunette Menstrual Cup may be cleaned and reused several times before it has to be replaced. The cup may be used continuously for up to eight hours at a time, and it is not difficult to put it into the system. If you wear it while you sleep, you won't have to worry about the aches and pains associated with your period at all.

  • When compared to other cups, the Lena cup is noticeably wider and more delicate. The Lena's silicone construction is very smooth, making it effortless to insert and remove the device from its case. Those with broad vaginas will benefit more from its increased coverage because of the larger size. The strong stem of this cup makes it much easier to clean than cups with porous stems, which tend to accumulate blood and other debris.

  • Most menstruation cups are excessively lengthy for individuals with low cervixes, making finding one that suits them particularly difficult. One of the few cups made especially for women with low cervixes is the MeLuna Shorty, which we found simpler to fold, insert, remove, and clean than the other low-cervix cups we examined. Although you give up some volume with a low-cervix cup since it can store less blood due to its smaller size, comfort is more essential than altering the cup a little more routinely.

Updated on: 02-Feb-2023

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