One of my favorite clients introduced me to a low-maintenance, eco-friendly way to manage my period sans tampons or pads. It’s called a Diva Cup and is exactly as it sounds. It is basically a 2 ounce food-grade silicone cup that you fold up and insert into your vagina. Once in, it unfolds and collects your blood. You can keep it in there for up to 12 hours and then rinse it off with the Diva Cup cleanser or boil it in hot water for 8 minutes. It should be replaced upon your discretion, depending how often you use it. Diva Cup suggests it be replaced every year, but Mooncup (a competitor) claims it lasts for years and years as long as the shape remains in tact and the material is not compromised (check for stickiness).

I bought my Diva Cup about six months ago at Whole Foods, but only got around to using it the few times that I would normally wear a tampon. I am more of a maxi-pad kind of girl because the thought of an absorbent tampon sitting in my vagina grosses me out. I’d rather have everything naturally flow down and then just sit in my gnarly pad. There are really no good options here.

But the Diva Cup is certainly revolutionizing the whole menstruation experience. Once inserted, the cup creates a bit of a suction, blocking any leakage or stank, and thus, any dogs in heat from sticking their heads in your crotch. On a heavy day, a tiny bit of fluid may sneak past, so wear a mini-pad just in case. The first few times I used it, I felt like a pubescent girl using a tampon for the first time. Removing it was tricky and quite painful, but I have gotten used to the process and look forward to observing my blood flow and its consistency. It’s no wonder that women in ancient times thought they were bleeding out!

I was worried about the repercussion of peeing and shitting while wearing the Diva Cup. At least tampons are cheap and somewhat flushable, but if my Diva Cup went flying into the toilet bowl during a forceful evacuation, especially in a public restroom, I would not be happy about fishing out the $40 cup. I am pleased to announce you can pee and shit full throttle while wearing a Diva Cup without consequence.

Cheers!