Tampons, Diva Cups and IUDs
Dad. Go read something else. Now. Maybe Oatmeal.
Everyone else, we’re going to have to talk about menstruation.
Earlier this week I posted about the pink string on Kotex brand tampons, and how confusing pink can be. The twitter DM’s started pretty quickly.
Why aren’t you using a diva cup?
Eww gross, get a Diva Cup.
Don’t you know anything? You need a Diva Cup.
Ladies, in addition to tampons and pads for your menses, there are cups. Although the Diva Cup has made quite a splash with the bloggers, there are many other brands Soft Cup, Moon Cup, Lady Cup, Femmecup, and Miacup are just a few.
Cups all seem to do the same thing. They collect your flow. You insert these things and collect away for up to 12 hours.
This seems great, and it seems that with the Soft Cup you can even have intercourse, but I see two big issues.
Removal and Birth Control.
I’m sure it’s really great to not have to buy tampons, but from the reviews I’m reading there’s still a need for pads just in case. Not to be gross, but just in case what? What happens when you need to empty the cup? What if you aren’t home, do you just walk to the sink at a public washroom with a hand full of grossness… I really can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want their menses to be disposable. We don’t have to reuse everything.
I’m green. I’m just not this green.
My understanding was that you cannot use the cup with an IUD, but now they seem to be saying you can use both, but ask your doctor first.
If there is any chance of the cup ruining my IUD I’m out. I waited my entire adult life to have unprotected sex, then I got married and had sex to have babies. The IUD lets me have a sex life without trying to make a baby or hoping that I haven’t. I am not giving up an IUD for anything in the world.
That being said, I’m forever grateful to the Diva Cup for getting the mom bloggers on board. Tanis’ son mistook it for a nipple insert, Elly found out that she has a large sized vagina, and Annika picked one up only to find out that she was pregnant and wouldn’t be needing it for at least 40 weeks. Even if I don’t love (even the idea of) the product like Cathy does, I can love the hilarity it brings to the blogosphere.