Let’s talk tampons (and pads. And periods). The average North American woman uses around 20-25 tampons (or pads/plus pads) during each menstrual period that she has. Many girls begin menstruating around age 11 and continue, like clockwork (barring things like pregnancy), until around the age of 50. That is 40 years of having a monthly period. Over the course of a lifetime of using and tossing, it amounts to as many as 20,000 individual feminine hygiene products, along with their packaging.

In case you’re worried about money—and we are all worried about money (because of the wage gap, being mothers, being students, being human)—tampons each cost about $0.30, pads cost a little less. If a woman uses tampons and pads for each period, she is buying and throwing out nearly $10,000 of them over 40 years. Just to manage having her period. If we could invest this amount over the 40 years we’d would have a retirement fund.

But how can women possibly save any of that money if they’re having to spend it on pads and tampons? Well, there is actually a way to save some—actually most!—of that money. By switching to using the DivaCup instead of pads and tampons.

What Is The DivaCup?

The DivaCup is a menstrual cup. It is a reusable, bell-shaped silicone cup that you wear internally in order to collect—rather than absorb—your menstrual flow. Just before your period begins, tightly fold the menstrual cup and insert it.

BUT! The DivaCup is so much more than just a menstrual cup. The DivaCup is challenging the ‘menstrual status quo’ and helping to banish menstrual shame, empower women and improve our relationships with our menstrual cycles. It is also providing a greener option than all those disposable pads and tampons we talked about that are being thrown away each year.

Where Did The DivaCup Come From?

Menstrual cups have existed since the 1930s when women wanted something more comfortable and unnoticeable under the new thin, light, close-fitting styles of the time. During World War II, there developed a shortage of latex rubber and the company manufacturing the original menstrual cups stopped production. After the war, in the early 1950’s, the cups resurfaced but the idea of reusable internal protection was scandalous to women at the time.

The story of the present day DivaCup began in the heart of a teenage girl named Francine, who, as a teen, was frustrated with the unsanitary, uncomfortable and impersonal feel of disposable tampons and pads. As she grew older, she began to research alternative menstrual care products and was excited to learn she was not alone in her passion.

Today, in partnership with her daughter Carinne, Francine is changing the way we view our periods and our period care. After years of experience and research they designed The DivaCup, a reusable menstrual cup that encourages a more positive period experience.

It’s Not Nearly As Scary As It Sounds

Many women feel uneasy about changing their menstrual care routine. But, the DivaCup is empowering women to connect with their bodies and menstrual cycles like never before. Perfect for all activities (air, land or sea), easy usability and care make for a better period experience. Wear The DivaCup for up to 12 hours (depending on your flow), without leaks or worry and discover this modern alternative to traditional feminine hygiene products.

What Do ‘Model 1’ and ‘Model 2’ Actually Mean?

Where there is not a big difference between the two sizes (Model 1 is 1/8″ (~0.3 cm) smaller), it is important to use the recommended sizing to prevent leakage.

Diva Cup – Model 1

Diva Cup – Model 2

For women under the age of 30 who have never experienced pregnancy or childbirth, Model 1 it is! If you are 30 years old or older—even if you have not experienced childbirth, Model 2 is for you. Why? As we age, even if we’ve never been pregnant, our hips naturally widen and our vaginal muscles become less elastic. Because those muscles hold The DivaCup in place, it is important to use Model 2 if you are over 30, whether or not you have had children (and regardless of their method of birth if you have had children).

What’s So Great About The DivaCup?

You mean besides the fact that it’s designed, manufactured and distributed by a Canadian mother-daughter company (and the first menstrual cup approved by Health Canada)?

The DivaCup is easy-to-use, leak-free, clean and comfortable. It gives up to 12 hours of protection, only needs to be cleaned 2 – 3 times each day that it’s used and replaced once a year. The DivaCup saves you money, allows for an improved period experience and is better for your health. The DivaCup is extremely eco-conscious as it is reusable and it produces much less waste than tossing tampons and pads every month. The cup itself doesn’t contain any latex, plastic, PVC, acrylic, acrylate, BPA, phthalate, elastomer, polyethylene and it is free of colour and dyes.

As If All That Wasn’t Enough…

Women all over the world menstruate. Yet, depending on regional location and cultural norms and practices, the experience varies from one woman to the next. While many women have access to disposable and reusable feminine hygiene products, there are still many communities that have limited access to clean water, health care and life essentials, including feminine hygiene protection.

Diva International Inc. is committed to helping all women find access to feminine hygiene products. If there is an organization that you feel may benefit from their support, please contact their team at info@divacup.com.

The DivaCup will change the way you look at your ‘time of the month’. It will make it less cumbersome, less messy and less stressful. Try it. You won’t know until you do!

Diva Cup and Other Essentials