What are Menstrual Cups?

by Gyno Cup Menstrual Cup India

Menstrual cup is a feminine hygiene product which is re- usable and economical. It is a bell-shaped cup that is inserted into your vagina to collect period fluid upto 26 ml. Menstrual cup can hold more blood than other methods which is making it more popular among women to use them as an eco-friendly alternative to pads or tampons. You can wear a cup for 12 hours and it lasts for a minimum of five years!!

Keeping a menstrual cup clean is essential. One should wash the cup with soap and water right after every use.

Why Menstrual cups?

There is plethora of advantages of choosing a menstrual cup over other, including:

Cost effective: Using a cup will save money of around $25 to $45 compared with the regular purchase of tampons or pads.

Comfort: People report that a menstrual cup is more comfortable than pads or tampons as it tends not to cause vaginal dryness, which is a common complaint about pads or tampons.

Less messy: A person can wear one while working out, swimming, or showering.

Eco friendly: Pads and tampons are usually single-use and come with lots of packaging, but cups are designed for years of use.

Toxic Shock Syndrome: People are concerned about contracting Toxic Shock Syndrome an infection that sometimes develops after prolonged use of tampons or pads but this is not the case with menstrual cups.

How to insert and use a menstrual cup

Just follow these essential steps before using cup:

Wash your hands thoroughly.
Apply either water or a water-based lubricant at the rim of the cup.
Tightly fold the menstrual cup in half, holding it in one hand with the rim facing up.
Insert the cup, rim up, into your vagina like you would a tampon without an applicator.
Once the cup is in your vagina, rotate it to create an airtight seal that stops leaks.

If you carefully follow these above mentioned points, you should be at your most ease while moving, jumping, sitting, standing, and can do other everyday activities without your cup falling out.

Some of the more popular folds include:

C-fold or U-fold: press the sides of the cup from the top to form a long oval. Fold the cup in half, so that it looks like the letters C or U.

Punch-down fold: Form a triangle by pushing a finger into the centre of the cup.

7-fold: Press all the sides of the cup from the top and make a long oval. You can also fold one side down diagonally, so it looks like the number 7.

To avoid leakage you have to empty it by the 12-hour mark, otherwise it may cause leakage.

To take out a menstrual cup just follow these simple steps:

Wash your hands thoroughly.
With the help of index finger and thumb pull the stem of the cup gently until you can reach the base.
Press the base to release the seal and pull down to remove the cup.
Once it’s out, empty the cup into the sink or toilet.

Extracted menstrual cups should be washed and rinsed properly before being reinserted into your vagina and should be emptied at least twice a day. Reusable menstrual cups can last for 6 months to 10 years. A menstrual cup can be a great choice for period hygiene, especially if a person no longer wishes to use pads or tampons.