Menstrual (or period) cups ... you may have friends that swear by them or have just heard about them in passing, but they’re more than just environmentally friendly — they save you money and save your vagina from discomfort sometimes caused by traditional period care products. But we understand the idea of making the switch to period cups can be daunting or downright confusing.
“The biggest misconception about period cups is that you’ll leak if you use one because people have a hard time believing that a cup the size of a shot glass(!) could hold up to six hours of menstrual fluid,” says Meika Hollender, co-founder and president of Sustain, which offers menstrual cups in two sizes. “But we bleed a lot less than we think we do! Most people who try cups say how surprised they are by how little they bleed.”
Ready to make the switch? Just like when you started using traditional or organic tampons, cup insertion can take a little practice at first. Here’s an easy and helpful primer on period cups to get you started.