If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
My mother first told me about the DivaCup a few years ago. Actually, she went further than that – she actually bought me my very own DivaCup.
My mother is a generous hippie granola nut.
For those of you who have never heard of the DivaCup before, despite the Internet’s recent fascination with it, allow me to explain. The DivaCup was designed as an environmental (and economical) alternative to tampons and pads.
Oh, yes, it’s going to be that kind of post.
Basically, the DivaCup is a silicone cup that a woman puts in her vagina to catch the blood from her menstrual period. Instead of having to change a tampon or pad, you take the cup out, empty it, and put it back in. Yes, I know, it sounds disgusting. Although honestly, does it sound anymore disgusting than “it’s a cotton ball on a stick that you shove in your vagina to absorb the blood from a menstrual period”?
We ooze blood from our crotches every month. Pretty much any product that addresses that need is going to have an ick factor associated with it. That is not enough to dissuade me from investigating a product because what is worse than a blood catcher is not using anything. Clearly.
There are actually a lot of good reasons to use a DivaCup.
The biggest plus of a product like the DivaCup is that it is better for the environment. Instead of using disposable products like tampons and pads, you have one product that you use over and over again. Of course, when you’re using anything in your vagina over and over again, it’s important that to take special care to keep it clean. The product, I mean. DivaCup sells a special DivaWash soap that is fragrance free and specially designed for sylicone. You don’t want the silicone to break down, obviously, and you don’t want to use a soap that can cause irritation, obviously.
Another reason to consider the DivaCup is the economic factor. One DivaCup costs about $32. The average woman spends about $200 each year on feminine hygeine products. And it never fails that when you are feeling the most broke, you will start hemorraging and find you have no tampons in the stockpile. Or maybe that’s just me. Whatever. One cup is cheaper than buying tampons or pads over and over again.
So – with all of those excellent reasons for using a DivaCup, why is it on the Friday Flop list?
The bottom line is that it’s a pain in the ass to use. It’s messy. I mean, yeah, periods are messy and anything associated with them has some kind of messiness included. But having to deal with a CUP full of blood is extra messy and gross. Contemplate, if you will, the word “spill”.
Oh, yeah.
There’s also the cleanliness factor. Sure, you can wash it out. And you SHOULD wash it out. But imagine being in the bathroom at Nordstrom’s and having to hobble out to the communal sink to wash out your DivaCup. Right? Yeah, no. And not washing every single time is simply not a good idea.
My last complaint is probably the most delicate. Silicone has it’s own odor. The last thing I want to do is introduce a new odor to my reproductive region. Enough said.
Now, should you still want to try a DivaCup for yourself, the last thing you need to know is that one size does not fit all. The DivaCup comes in two sizes. One is for women under 30 who have not given birth and one is for women over 30 or anyone who has given birth. I’m trying really hard to ignore what that says about the state of my vagina.
Locally, you might be able to find the DivaCup at a health food store, including most Whole Foods.
Or you can buy a DivaCup online here:
Diva – The DivaCup Model #1 Prechildbirth Cup
Diva – The DivaCup Model #2 Postchildbirth Cup
Posted in Friday Flops: Products That Suck Tagged: divacup, Friday Flops, hygeine products, menstrual period, tampons
Elizabeth Kaylene
Reply:
May 23rd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
@avitable, You are one brave, brave man right now.
[Reply]