this post is NOT man-friendly

it's not against men, just probably if you don't have a vagina, you don't want to read any further.









I want to write about feminine hygiene.


I just bought my first-ever Diva Cup. From the beginning of my periods, I was not impressed. Always the inconvenience and discomfort and odour and the feeling of lining the wallet of the fat, fat "Man" with my constant purchases of tampons, pads, pantyliners and the like.

There are so many issues with products: the risk of TSS with tampons, the discomfort of having to remove a tampon before it's totally saturated, stray tampon-strings (yikes!), that slight smell that accompanies anything pad-like, leakage leakage leakage. I hate how the landfills are being crammed with mostly not-decomposing stuff. I have always been yearning for real alternatives. And I hate the consumer-culture that makes it "ok" to indulge in buying new stuff all the time because the period is a "special time" when we are entitled to screw the planet upside down and sideways.

Hanging out in Tara's natural foods, enjoying the smell and feel of natural things, we stumbled across organic, unbleached cotton tampons, and just above them on the shelf, the Diva Cup.
"Diva Cup?" says I.
Yes, the Diva Cup. fantastic little silicone cup that inserts into the vagina where it catches all menstrual dribble and flow and empties easily when you remove it. I am so ecstatic that i finally bought one. There are two sizes, depending on your age and whether or not you have delivered children, and it's only about 40 bucks. It sounds expensive, but it totally replaces all feminine hygiene products (with the exception of a pantyliner if you are nervous). I do like to keep a stray tampon in various pockets just for the unexpected.

Things that are good about it:
- easy to insert: clear and simple instructions
- no leakage, even the first time i inserted it. they tell you in the instructions how to be sure it's in the right place. it's actually even less leaky than a tampon.
- only need to empty it 2 - 3 times a day.
- not gross. i had envisioned spatter and explosion of disgustingness, but it was less messy than wrapping a pad or tampon. you do want to do it in a domestic bathroom as opposed to a cubicle in a public restroom, but if you're only emptying twice a day, that's no inconvenience.
- comes with a little cloth pouch to keep it in your purse or store it between periods.
- easy to clean - just wash with soap and warm water.

It's almost like not having your period.

i understand that even after reading this you might still be squeamish and eeked out, but think about it.