Why do some people find the idea of using a reusable menstrual cup gross or grosser than tampons and pads?

Question

A cup works by creating a seal with your vaginal walls and with it's slight suction. You can wear it on heavy and very light days without discomfort.
There's different folding and cleaning techniques for the cup, it holds more than a tampon(meaning less bathroom trips), it doesn't leave fibers behind, the material it's made of is used in medical objects such as feeding tubes and permanent heart valves, it leaves vaginal mucous that is needed to clean your vagina alone, you can sanitize medical grade silicone really well and even sterilize it, bacteria doesn't grow on silicone as easily as it does on tampons that are made of mixed and unknown materials, and because it doesn't absorb/is not made of rough scratchy material it's less likely to tear your vaginal walls and cause infection. Tampons are a great breeding ground for bacteria and it is held in contact with your vaginal walls for a long period of time.

http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/profile
Different brands.

Answer 1

I've been a menstrual cup user for 2 years now. I used tampons my last period and they were very inconveinient and uncomfortable. Tampons aren't supposed to be flushed down septic tanks so I had to wrap the tampons around in toilet paper along with it's applicator at home and throw them in the trash..The smell is way worse partly because they have oxygen in them and, tampons are really perfect for bacteria to live and breed. It's annoying having to carry around supplies in public. At least with a cup I only have one and I can even insert it before I get my period to avoid any mess. I find it really perfect for light days(I hate pantyliners) I had my cup swabbed once by my gyno and no bad bacteria was found on it, and that was after it was sitting around my home. Anyway, I only need one cup and it's easy to insert and remove without any mess. It gives me a few extra hours away from the bathroom. I just whipe my cup off a little with TP and place it back in quickly. It's very fast and easy once you get the hang of it. I personally prefer the lunette because its suction holes are bigger and it's made of smooth frosted silicone so it's waaay easy to clean. I forgot to add that I'm an exotic dancer so the cup comes in handy because it leaves no string dangling.

Answer 2

Basically because menstruation is such a taboo, and as such the idea of 'alternative' menstrual options such as menstrual cups, free-flow methods and other reusable options such as cloth pads or sponges are alien to women and girls so they don't want to think about them let alone use them, commercial tampons and pads are made to be used without much thought and because some women think menstruation is 'gross' no matter what this is what they prefer.

The companies and manufacturers of commercial tampons and pads are very good at playing to menstrual taboos by playing on their products being 'discreet' and advertising how clean their products are, what women do not realize however is that these products are sanitary but not sterile and furthermore the major problem is that women do not realise that these options are in fact not at all hygienic - eg. absorbent wad of material kept inside your vagina for hours where decomposing blood give bacteria the perfect place to multiply and as the vagina is plugged-up the tampon then prevents the vaginas self-cleaning function, not to mention the string getting soaked in urine every time you pee or constant leaks...

You have that whiter-than-white idea, that menstrual options have to be super white [super-white has in the past meant dioxin within tampons and pads, only knows what harmful toxins are in those products these days], it's ingrained in women from a very young age that their menstrual products have to be this way, you'll even find a lot of women against the idea of organic cotton tampons and pads because they are not treated with chemicals and so an off-white rather than super-white. When women have that sort of attitude then the idea of a menstrual cup is just too much for them, it is also unfortunate some women are just so scared of their bodies at the best of times, that then the idea of menstruation turns their stomach.

The thing is menstrual cups are far more hygienic and safer, they are not just sanitary but can also be made sterile, with only having to empty them every 12 hours they can be emptied at home in the shower where there is no mess at all, compared to pads or tampons that often have to be changed in public toilets, wrapped up, a bin found for them and so on, another point is that most women probably expect that menstrual cups leak as tampons do (which they don't), that they have to be more hands-on (again issues of taboos, and women don't take into consideration they have to touch tampons too) and that when you remove them the blood goes everywhere (which it doesn't at all).

As long as women are bound by social taboos surrounding menstruation they will never learn about their periods or bodies, as such they will never realise how harmful options such as tampons are, and they will certainly never look into the 20+ menstrual options available to them because they don't feel the need and quite frankly because ignorance breeds fear, in turn that brings hatred - and I do mean hatred, it's not just the 'gross' or 'ewwww' response to different menstrual options but during my time as a menstrual activist and studying gynecology I have mad a fair number of women insult me because they were so scared of the idea of 'alternative' menstrual options...i.e. I am considered gross because I use something different to them - it sounds melodramatic but I swear I have had some serious abuse for just suggesting other options to women.

Answer 3

The problem is in handling it when full, other wise you are right.

Sterilising does require skills and patience, and technique.

So it is up to the individuals. Some people faint at the sight of the blood. So cleaning it is out of Q? for them.

Answer 4

If I ever go back to having natural periods again, I'll get one. But I don't have significant periods because of the birth control I'm on. I don't get enough to fill a single tampon.

Answer 5

This coming from a guy?

It's our personal preference, not a huge deal.

Answer 6

Sounds very good, but seems like a chore to wear and clean. I'll stick to tampons!