The Divacup: Is it a Hit or Miss?

The Divacup is one of a thousand menstrual cup types & brands that are produced these days. The first Divacup model (Size 1) is specifically for women who have not had a child, teenagers (who already use tampons), and women who are under the age of 30 years old- which is all clearly stated on the packaging!
Before we get too technical though, let just talk about the elephant in the room… YEP- this is indeed a silicone cup to catch your menstrual blood. There is no nice way to put that. Kind of like a tampon is a weird spongy tube that soaks up your menstrual blood. But they are both SO MUCH MORE than that! Now I have many friends who are tried and true believers in traditional tampons, and that’s great! I don’t judge anyone- if it works for you, sweet! However, in my opinion they are just bad for you! Getting your period is although somewhat unpleasant, a very natural thing, and well, the crap tampons are made of is anything but natural. However, this is very much besides the point!
Back to the mysterious Divacup… The first thing you might wonder about as you contemplate weather you are intrigued or thoroughly grossed out, is how it actually works.
Here is how: the cup creates a seal with the walls of your vagina and catches your flow. The Diva Cup is made of high quality silicone. It does not contain chlorine, dyes, colorings or additives. It is also scent-free and stays scent-free during and after use, which we cant say about pads.
Next Question- Is it difficult to insert the diva cup? Not one bit but there is a learning curve. You may not figure it out the first time. Or the second time. It may take months before you get into a rhythm. I suggest getting a feel for down there. Yes, literally. Your fingers will need to go inside of your vagina. You have to be very comfortable with your body to do this. Don’t beat yourself up if this isn’t easy. Stay relaxed and be patient with yourself.
Is inserting the diva cup painful? No. If it’s painful, that means you have inserted it incorrectly. I find inserting tampons far more painful and uncomfortable than inserting a menstrual cup. If at any time, you find inserting or removing the cup to be painful, STOP and try again. If it continues to be painful, you should discontinue use and speak with your doctor.
Now for the big question: how is removal? it seems nasty… A lot of women may freak out at the sight of their menstrual blood in a cup, but again that is a case by case issue. he removal is actually easier than you think. Grabbing the bottom of it and gently squeezing it can relieve the Diva Cup’s suction. From there, you pull down and gently tilt the Diva Cup’s bottom toward the ground. Discard, rinse and reuse! I will say this…removal can be challenging in public restrooms. Keep in mind that the outside of the cup does NOT have menstrual flow on it. You shouldn’t get blood on your fingers at all.

To recap, I think that this product is a wonderful alternative to using tampons and pads. It is something you need to get used to, and practice at but in the long run it should not be painful or uncomfortable or unsanitary. It is extreamly cost effect, environmentally conscious, and a brilliant option for 1000s of women around the world. How do you know if its for you?- my best advice would be to try it out and see first hand!

No need for pads/tampons!

I truly can't believe I waited SO LONG to try the Diva Cup. Though there is a small learning curb, once you get the hang of inserting the cup it is a god send! I have saved so much money not having to purchase other sanitary products.

Ecofriendly and effective

I love my diva cup. I've been using it for almost a year now and it's so convenient. You literally put it in and forget about it toll you get home. It's eco friendly, doesn't create waste and is odorless. Women might find it gross to have a cup full of blood when you empty it but I actually find it really intresting as you could learn a lot about your menstrual cycle with it. The only inconvenient thing about this is you gotta boil it every month at the end of your cycle to sterilize it but i usually just do this the next morning when i'm cooking breakfast.

Why did I wait so long to try this?

I have a huge regret that I didn't try this sooner! I was so worried it would be hard to use and not effective but I was SO wrong! I love that it is so good for the environment too! Bonus! Spreading the news about the Diva Cup with all my lady friends! <3

Utilisatrice d'une diva cup depuis plusieurs années et cela a été un excellent achat. La diva cup rend mes menstruations beaucoup moins pénible. Je n'ai presque jamais de fuite avec et je peux la laisser en place plus longtemps.
Au début, cela prend un peu d'adaptation pour apprendre à l'insérer et l'enlever, mais cela n'a pas duré longtemps.
Je ne retournerais plus aux tampons!

I love the idea of this product! It will save you a lot of money and helps create less garbage for the environment. But I personally found it difficult to use and position without it leaking and to find a comfortable position. It takes practice so don't give up after the first try.

Oh my, how my life has changed since I got this lil cup! I used to dread my period every month and there was nothing I could do to make it any more tolerable. I used regular tampons and found myself either paranoid that I leaked (despite changing on the regular!), I would get sore from where ever the string would lie (front, back or middle...Didn't matter!) and I'd just feel unclean all the time! Also, not super convenient if you start to feel a bit damp due to an over-absorbed tampon during a class, meeting whatever. I thought I'd give the Diva Cup a shot after my friend recommended it.

Now, I'm not going to lie, it takes a bit of getting used to so that you can put it in correctly (but tampons were probably weird to me too 13 years ago!). That's why I tested it out on a day that I didn't need to go anywhere if I did have any accidents. You have to figure out which way works best for you because they detail a few different options in their instructions. I was fine just sitting on the toilet and making the cup into a pointy triangle.

It's a lot easier to put in than you think, the tricky thing is knowing how far 'in' it needs to go. My first attempt I didn't insert my diva cup in far enough and felt like a had a teeny penis, the second attempt I put it in too far and when I had done my twisty turny I think I suctioned something that shouldn't have been suctioned and everything was painful lol. Now I have it juuuuust right.

My favourite thing about my diva cup is the fact that I don't have to fly off in a panic to change my tampon. I work as a receptionist and sometimes I can't get away from my desk for a very long time. One day it got so bad I had to stand up because I was so paranoid about leakage. And you don't want people getting too close because you're paranoid that you stink. Changing it in public toilets is tricky, because I'm a spreader, but I'm getting better at it lol. It's surprising how much blood actually comes out of your body too when you're on your period. My diva cup makes me feel a little bit more in tune with my body. I can see how some people might be a little icked out when changing the diva cup but after thinking about it a little I'd much rather get a bit of blood on my hands than deal with so many gross tampons every day. I feel a lot freer, I'm not so self conscious and I even popped a squat with it in and it stayed put! I think I have written enough to persuade you that getting a diva cup is the right thing to do, you won't regret it!!

I don't know how I didn't know about this before, but I found one on sale in a grocery store and bought it on impulse. It has changed my life. I have a lot less to worry about now when it comes to that time of the month - absolutely love the freedom my Diva Cup gives me! It's also a relief to find a dioxin-free product that is better for the environment!

I have been a tampon user my whole life. This product works every time! No leaks, so need to empty more than 3 times a day. So easy to use you can even use it in public restrooms. Saves you so much money. Highly recommended.

I will never go back to other 'lady products'. I was super nervous to try the diva cup at first because of the thought of blood everywhere. But to be able to sleep without a pad or a leak- amazing!