Works great, this model is for 18 and under. I'm actually 26, it just depends on your body types don't go by age.

Seriously? Why doesn't everyone know about this? It's like this weird secret -- I mentioned it jokingly in a bar the other night, practically under my breath (while blushing), and three women SQUEEEED as we all came out of the Diva Cup Closet and talked about our Secret Love. And one woman mentioned that she couldn't wait for her next period, and I swear to god, I FEEL THE SAME WAY. It's crazypants, people. Why is it a secret? Why aren't we telling EVERYONE? 1. First, let's all get over that it's blood. Yes, it's blood. It's coming out, one way or another. I've found the Diva Cup cleaner than tampons (after that first month which was a very steep red learning curve, indeed. Second month, I had it down and used it while traveling. On a plane. For reals.) 2. Don't worry that you're too heavy a bleeder. The packaging says most women bleed 1 to 1.4 oz a month. Me? I fill the 1 oz cup in 3-4 hours on my heavy days. No problem -- I used to have to swap tampons every 1-2 hours in the bad old days, and now I don't. Quick dump, rinse, replace. (Great idea someone had about bringing a water bottle into the public stall. Or really, a little piece of paper will wipe it out just fine, replace and go, wash it when you get home.) I used to go through an entire box of tampons a month, plus pads. In less than three months, this has paid for itself. 3. Don't worry that you're not built for it. FULL DISCLOSURE and TMI ALERT: I have TWO cervixes (and two uteruses, two -- jealous? It's called uterus didelphis, not as uncommon as it sounds, no one even noticed in me till I was 35, and I'd had multiple ob procedures), so I wasn't sure this product would work. I even wrote to the company before I bought it, and they didn't know, either! But because the cup sits below the cervix (or cervices, in some special cases), it works. I bought size 2, since I'm over 30, and it fits right (see note 5). 4. You'll find your magic insertion method. You will! Mine is inserting HORIZONTALLY as they recommend, a twist while bearing down, and then letting the kegels take that puppy up to do its miraculous job. 5. If that stem seems uncomfortable, TURN THE CUP INSIDE OUT. I saw that recommended somewhere, and it's the secret for some of us, I'm telling you. Makes it wider and shorter, and I don't feel it at all. You don't need the stem to pull it out, and it almost seems like having the stem inside the base makes it easier to grab (again, bearing down slightly is what works for me). Good God. It's a miracle. TELL EVERYONE! Hire skywriters! Every gal has to find this out! If just ONE of you buys this because of this review, my work will be done. And if you're some creepy guy who's grossed out after reading this because I tweeted it, then, well. You deserved it, didn't you? BEST PRODUCT EVER!

***UPDATE 6/15/14*** I decided to keep going with this one instead of trying a different brand cup. I learned that if I start the cup sitting very low (so low that it sticks out quite a bit when I'm sitting on the toilet; my muscles pull it in to where it needs to be as soon as I stand, or I adjust it while standing), I don't have any problems with hitting the Vagus nerve. Not to mention I pretty much never have any leaks either! Changing my rating from 4 stars to 5 now, this thing is great, and it's so nice not having to wear any pads in the summer! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So, today I discovered a new term: vasovagal response. And let me tell you ladies, if this happens to you, REMOVE YOUR CUP IMMEDIATELY! I've had my Diva Cup for around 3-4 months now, and though it took a bit of getting used to, it works *very* well when I put it in right. I know that sounds very conflicting, but I'll explain why, please read on! A little about myself: I am a 34 year old mother of one, and after a natural, uneventful childbirth I developed vulvadynia that was musco-skeletal related. After a year of physical therapy and medication (and after weaning my daughter at 3, all of which happened around the same time), the condition had resolved for me. But, some things remain. I seem to dry out very easily during my period, especially with the use of pads and tampons, which sometimes results in these very painful skin splits in the crevices of my labia; and my period is now much heavier and much longer in duration than it was before I had a baby (which can happen). My cervix is also tilted to one side. That last thing and the pain I would experience wasn't really the result of having a baby, it was actually the result of putting a thick wallet in the same back pocket for many years (messed up a good number of my pelvic muscles!), and having a baby and extended breastfeeding actually exacerbated the issue (though I do not regret my decision to breastfeed that long, but that's a whole 'nother discussion for a different kind of post!)! Anyway, after reading up on menstrual cups, I thought I'd finally try one out, especially when I saw high praise of them on a vulvadynia recovery forum. And, aside from a few hiccups on getting it to sit right at first (and I mean, I really only had an issue with positioning it correctly on the first day I tried it), it was a godsend! No more drying out and painful splits, no more changing pads or tampons and feeling that gross damp feeling, no smell, and I barely felt like I was having my period, aside from the painful cramping I usually get the first 2 days. Hell, I could even sleep without undies, and not have a single accident, and the first 2-3 days I have a pretty heavy flow! But then I'd notice something weird happening on the first and last days of my period. I would get very dizzy, and nauseous, and my thinking would be fuzzy. Last month, that happened when I was trying to go to sleep while I was away on a trip. I started feeling SO sick though, that I thought maybe I washed the cup wrong, or thought maybe the tap water of the state I was in was bad or had minerals or something that my body wasn't used to, so just in case I took it out and put a pad on, and figured when I got home I would wash the cup more thoroughly. I promptly forgot about the incident, since it happened on the last day of my period. Fast forward to today. Woke up and got my period, so I put my cup on. After a few hours, I started feeling VERY nauseous and dizzy, but this time also feverish and I was very very visibly flushed, to the point where my 4 year old began to get worried and asked me if I was ok. It got so bad, that while trying to play with her, I had to keep lying on the floor to keep from throwing up or the world from spinning. In the midst of my haze, I tried to think of what I did differently earlier in the day. After eliminating all of the possible things that could be making me feel so ill, I realized the one thing I had done differently today was put on the cup. So I quickly went to the bathroom and took it out. And sure enough, within minutes, my very severe symptoms suddenly vanished! After I felt much better, I decided to Google my symptoms in relation to menstrual cups and see if anyone else had experienced similar things, and came across the above phrase in a Livejournal community for menstrual cups. The phenomenon itself though seems somewhat rare, and occurs in women with low or tilted cervices, or on the days of your cycle when your cervix is naturally low. It's very frightening, because I learned that had I not removed the cup, I may have fainted, and had I fainted in a way where my head was still upright, I may have had a seizure! I'm here alone all day with a 4 year old, so that would have been a very terrible thing to happen indeed! The reason I am giving this product 4 stars in spite of my experience, is because it does work very well for it's intended uses, and if I had the average cervix, I believe I wouldn't have these issues at all. For some women, it also seems that simply taking it out and re-positioning it correctly is all that's needed to eliminate these symptoms, since what is happening is you are irritating the Vagus nerve in your cervix, and some women have this extreme response when that occurs (others just feel a little bit of cramping and that's it). The solution, it seems, is to use a shorter menstrual cup, like the LadyCup or the Mini Classic Meluna cup, so it sits lower in the vaginal canal and can't reach the nerve to irritate it. I will try this next and hope for the best, since I really loved the benefits of a menstrual cup. However, if I experience the same symptoms again, I will throw in the towel and admit defeat! (and be very sad!) I don't write many reviews, but I wanted to get this info out in case anyone else was experiencing the same issues! I don't wany anyone to go through what i had earlier today! So, I hope this is useful to those experiencing the same issues! Thanks for reading ^_^

I am 44 years old, and I've never given birth to anything except ideas. I used model 2 for about a year or so, but recently just switched to model 1. I'm much, much happier. If you know for a fact that you are built on the small side, I would opt for model 1. Model 2 was way too big for me. It was especially uncomfortable on the first day of my period, when I already felt bloated and full of fluids. Model 2 also blocked my urethra enough that if I had a full bladder, it was difficult to go to the bathroom, and I would have to physically push the cup out of the way. I am currently using model 1 for the first time, and all of the problems I had with model 2 have been resolved. Again, as many other reviewers have attested, which model you need really has nothing to do with your age. And, if you aren't sure whether or not you are built on the small or large side "down there", well, it's probably time to do a little exploring!

This review may be TMI, but hopefully it's useful for somebody. I was hesitant because tampons have never been comfortable for me to use (and also completely worthless for my heavy flow), but I was desperate because according to my period tracker, the weddings and all the major holidays for which we would be visiting other places this year happened to fall on my heavy days. Love the Diva Cup now and so glad I tried it! Of all the junk and gadgets I buy, this has been one of my favorite all-time purchases that has truly been worth the investment. I have a super heavy flow for a few days every month and before this product had to buy pads in all colors of the rainbow, in the ultra thick size and they would still leak. It was quite stressful to try and hide my "diaper" (the extra thick and long purple overnight pads, then the thick orange ones when my flow slowed) under my day clothes, uncomfortable having the extra padding and lining rubbing all the time, not to mention expensive having to buy name brand pads because generic wouldn't cut it. Also annoying to have to wash bedding an extra 2-3 days in a row because of leaks. Even more annoying to have to bring an incontinence bed cover whenever we travel so I don't bleed on other people's beds or those diaper trash bags so there's not a giant bloody monstrosity in the empty decorative trash bins of guest bathrooms wide open for all to see. This humiliation is why we provide a lined step trashcan with a lid in our own guest bathroom, so others won't be too embarassed to dispose of trash in the trash. With this cup, I still have to wear a pad (no more than the thin yellow ones now!), but it's more for my peace of mind in case I don't empty the cup in time or didn't insert it right and it leaks - more of a 2nd line of embarrassment defense. At my heaviest flow, I do have to empty the cup every couple hours, but like other reviewers have said, you do learn to feel when it's slipping. I have also discovered that for me, if the cup is uncomfortable and I can feel it, then it just needs to be adjusted--I either need to tilt it more horizontally or push it in a little bit further. When inserted right, I don't feel a thing unless it's full and shifting. Hope this helps!

This thing works! However, a few tips before you get started. Grab a hand mirror (ideally adjustable). Cut your nails. Trim hair down there. My first attempt inserting it was rather successful. When removing, the technique I found useful and not painful was to use my forefinger and thumb to reach midway on the base and then add the middle finger to create the U-shape similar to when I inserted it. My only problem was not feeling when it is full. I came home after 4 hours outside and as I was checking Amazon reviews on what to do with the uncomfortable poking tip, I felt some pain down there and the tip seemed to be pushing on to my jeans. I hurriedly went upstairs to my bathroom and as I was taking off my jeans, the cup was almost midway down. It was so full! I will omit the graphic mess it created, but it felt quite similar to when my water broke. Same night, about almost 2 hours after I've washed and changed, I felt some wet stuff on my underwear. Leakage? When I removed it while sitting in the toilet, the cup was again FULL! Lesson learned is on those super heavy days for me, wear a napkin just in case. Makes for easier cleanup. And yes, I also cut off the tip almost completely.

I absolutely LOVE this product. I have been using this for 3 months and I will honestly say it was a little difficult to get used to at first. And yes ladies you will get to know your body very well because you have to using this. I bought a size 2 because I am over 30 and never have had a child. I thought maybe it wouldn't work but it did so trust their sizing directions. I will warn you that it takes a few months to get this down but when you do it is wonderful. There is a long piece at the end and I was scared to cut it but I did... 2 times actually. I have found that the cup is supposed to sit lower in your canal. I thought it was supposed to go higher because the long tip was rubbing and made it uncomfortable. But it really isn't. And if you think about it, even with the suction it is going to slide down a little due to the fluids. But once I cut the end of the tip off the second time it works perfectly and now I don't require a pantyliner. I think some people may still need a liner depending on their flow... but once you get the cup in their correctly you wont. Hey it took me 3 months to get it in there right. So bottom line... I would definitely recommend this product. If you follow the directions and give it some time I think you will like it too. I have not had any problems and don't have to worry about toxic shock or any chemicals companies are putting in their products. I have had someone ask me about the possibility of getting a UTI and can say that I don't think that will be an issue if you wash your hand before and after and change the cup like you are supposed to. So go buy it. If anyone has any questions I would be glad to help if I can based on my experience with this. About cleaning it. I do submerge the cup in a bowl full of hydrogen peroxide at the end of use (end of your cycle) for 2 days. I then rinse it off with cool water, let it air dry, and put it in the bag that comes with the cup. This helps clean it and keep the cup from turning brown like I've heard from other people. I also clean it with peroxide even right before using it at the beginning of my cycle just to be sure. So try it out and good luck!

Periods suck. The DivaCup makes it suck a lot less. Here’s some benefits based on my experience using the DivaCup over the last 5 years: (1) lower cost over time, I replace once per year as recommended. Fewer trips to the store for menstrual products too. (2) reduced period odor.I remember being REALLY happy about this when I first started using the Diva Cup. (3) no more having to carry extra tampons. I can just empty it, clean it, and use it again! (4) I can sleep through the night without having to fuss with it. With tampons I was always worried about leaks / over saturation. (5) I barely feel it (if at all) when in use (6) whether it’s a light flow or a heavy flow, I can use the same cup. I only need to change the frequency of which I empty it. No more need for buying a variety of products to suit my needs. (7) compact, lightweight, easy to carry in my pocket. It took me many months to learn how to consistently insert / remove correctly... My advice: the first few cycles that you use the cup try only using it when you’re at home, and use your tried-and-true method when you’re out and about. That way you’re in a comfortable setting in case you experience any difficulties or messes. Hope this helps someone!

Full disclosure but not TMI...I promise: Ok, so maybe I lied now that I think about it. I had a horrific incident where I lost the string of my tampon and had to go to urgent care for an extra hand so to speak. I ordered this right away because that would never happen again or so I told myself. I was a little scared to use it so it took me about a year before I tried it. After hearing a close girlfriend or two talk about this I decided to give it a shot. I watched a lot of youtube videos before I tried it. It took me a couple of months before I decided it was love at second or twentieth sight. Then after almost a year of use...ominous music...I dropped it in the toilet and I had to throw it away because ew. Anyhoo, I decided to try the Luna cup this time because it came with two for about the same price with cute cup holders. Now I have a back up and some cute containers. I'm not sure I'll love it as much as my Diva Cup but I'll give it a shot. I try to tell everyone how amazing this is so please do the same. I feel like more women should be sharing the Diva Cup love. Tips for new users: * Expect it to be messy...it is. It's not as messy as tampons but I'll let you find that out for yourself. * It will take time to get used to it so don't give up until you've had a least two cycles with it. * Wear black pants or bring an extra pair with you in case of accidents while you get used to it. I've accidentally spilled my cup into my pants AT WORK! Thankfully I had some yoga pants at work. * Wear a liner of some sort because it does take some getting used to on the placement. If you feel it, it probably isn't in correctly. * If you are ooked out by stains, wash it in cold water and that will reduce the staining. Sunlight will help reduce the staining if you get some. * Also, don't panic if you are having issues removing it. It only makes the process harder and you get really sweaty and that's not a good look lol. This is where your kegels come into play. I find that when it's difficult to remove it's because my flow is light so it makes removal hard because the weight of the fluid allows for easier removal. This is not recommended by the manufacturer but it won't kill you to leave it in a little past the 12 hour mark to allow it to sink low enough to grab. I've accidentally done this and I've done it on purpose and I'm still alive to write this review. I don't make a habit of this, but again... DON'T PANIC! =) * On your heavier days, you may need to remove the cup sooner than 12 hours in. I do this on the second day and sometimes third day of my cycle so my cup doesn't runeth over. You don't want that, trust me. I hope this helps for those of you who are buy curious about the Diva Cup. I wish I had known about this years ago and I hope you fall in love at 22nd sight too.

I’m 19, never had a baby, and my flow is about medium to heavy but I decided to get the size one. I absolutely love it. I’ve never used a menstrual cup, always have used tampons + pads but I got so tired of that constant waste and constant expense so I decided to give the cup a try. It’s a freaking game changer. I was SUPER Intimidated by it but I figured how hard could it be? I cleaned it and was ready to use it and got it in the first try using the U-fold. I wore for a couple of hours, removed it (pretty easily!!!), cleaned it, and popped it back in. Does take a little longer than popping a tampon back in since you have to rinse it out but I think it’s so worth it. When I slept with it, this is where I had an issue. I don’t know if it was the cup that moved up or if my flow was just heavier at night but I did leak through quite a bit so i will have to probably purchase the larger size for overnight. One huge benefit from the diva cup is you can POOP WITH IT IN!! I’ve never been able to Poo with a tampon cause they always come out and I was pleasantly surprised that you can poop with the diva cup!! TMI but it’s the truth. If you’re thinking of purchasing it, just give it a try! I highly recommend it and I won’t be buying tampons again.