Everyone’s talking about menstrual cups these days, but what exactly are they; how should they be used; and are they really safe?

What is a Menstrual Cup?
A menstrual cup is a female sanitary product, made from flexible silicone or rubber, with a small funnel. It’s inserted into the vagina to catch period fluid when you have your period.

When inserting a menstrual cup, use clean hands and apply a water-based lubricant or water to the rim of the cup, then fold it in half. Insert it gently into the vagina in the same way you would a tampon, but without an applicator. It should sit a few inches below your cervix. Then rotate the cup. It will spring open to create an air-tight seal and stop you from leaking.

Find the Right Fit
Menstrual cups come a in a variety of sizes and materials, so how do you know which is the right one for you?

Talk to your doctor, taking into account the length of your cervix and how heavy your flow is. Also consider the capacity of the cup you plan to use, and it flexibility and firmness. The strength of your pelvic floor muscles, and whether or not you’ve given birth through the vagina, are also important considerations.

In general, women under the age of 30 who have not given birth vaginally are advised to use a smaller size cup, than women over 30, who have given birth and tend to have heavier flows.

Menstrual cups have become increasingly popular, but are they right for you?

The Pros
They’re convenient. Unlike tampons, menstrual cups last from six to 12 hours at a time, depending on your flow, so you don’t need to change them as often as tampons.

Most are reusable and last from six months to 10 years so they’re far better for the environment than tampons.

They’re safer. Menstrual cups collect, rather than absorb, the blood like tampons, which means you’re not at risk of toxic shock syndrome.

They hold more blood (one to two ounces at a time) than tampons (one third of an ounce) so you’re unlikely to leak.

You can have sex whilst wearing them. Unlike tampons, the soft-form menstrual cups can be left in when being intimate with your partner, which means you can have sex whilst on your period, and your partner won’t feel it.

We’re all watching the pennies these days and menstrual cups are far more economical than tampons. Menstrual cups cost between E25 and E40, depending on the brand. Compare this to tampons and pads, which cost the average woman in Ireland E132 a year. There’s a huge saving in menstrual cups when you factor in using them for the entirety of your menstruating years.

The Cons
Inserting and removing the cup takes practice. You may find it difficult to fold over once inside you, or have difficulty pinching the base to pull the cup down and out when inserting it.

Menstrual cups can be messy to remove. You can encounter spills when taking the cup out and this could be a problem in a public toilet.

Menstrual cups come in different sizes so you may have to try a few different brands to find the fit.

You could find yourself allergic to the material used in the menstrual cup. Most are latex-free, but you could have an allergy to rubber or silicone.

Vaginal irritation can occur if the cup has not been properly cleaned after its last use, or if lubricant is not used to insert it.

Vaginal infection is also a possibility. To guard against this, make sure your hands are clean when handling the cup, and that the cup is spotlessly clean when inserting it.