I was a pad person. I've never used a tampon in my life, so it was hard for me to learn to trust this completely. I have a very heavy flow for two days after the first day and occasionally if I leave it in the whole workday - even if it's inserted well- I will experience some small leaks. I don't like to take the cup out in public restrooms, so I usually combine it with some homemade pad-underwear (I sewed a bunch of layers of cotton baby blanket, with a bottom layer of an old raincoat to the bottom of a pair of my boyshort underwear) and I wear that under my tan work pants for complete security. I wear it the entire work day on my heaviest days and am very comfortable. For the first few months this thing was AMAZING, for reasons others have already stated (actually seeing the amount of your flow, not having to change it all day, not having to spend money on pads, etc.) however, recently I've had a problem that the area has been very sensitive, so I've been taking it out every night (switching to pads over night) and re-boiling it as part of my morning routine. This has been working very well for me and gives the area a rest and a clean start. Anyway, I'm rambling. I like this thing. It's good. Give it a shot, and if you don't like it... you're out a lil money. If you do, you'll easily save double what you spent over the time you use it AND have a wonderful peace of mind about your period like never before. Peace out.

I’ve had this DivaCup for a couple years now. Every now and then I wash it with a pH-neutral soap. I’ve never boiled it. It has not showed any sign of decomposition or deterioration. It has caused me irritation if I use it repeatedly over more than a day or two. I don’t use it every time I have a menstrual cycle. It took me a long while to get used to, and I only use it when I would usually be wearing a tampon with a pad. My cycles are heavy, so the pad isn’t usually enough. The cup is stressful to use, even now that I know how to use it. You have to squeeze your insides (bare down) hard to get it to be able to grab it. I usually use toilet paper to get a good grip on it… Sometimes it hurts to take out. Sometimes you get stuff all over yourself. It’s best to use if you have a private bathroom with a sink within reach. I have rarely taken this to work. I find it pushes on my insides enough to make me uncomfortable. I find I must pee more when it’s in, my bladder has less tolerance to be filled, and I feel like I must constantly defecate. It is not a great product, but it is better than wasteful tampon use that will not decompose easily. I think it’s worth trying. It’s not the best thing ever, but it might be worth the sacrifice of using it.

This product is awesome. I've known about menstrual cups for a while, but like many others I was hesitant to try one. Recently I moved from Tampax to organic cotton tampons like Cora and 7th generation. Tampax are super absorbent, but expand inside into ungodly flat shape. Cora and 7th generation are neat and cylindrical, but they would leak through and I had to change them every 3 hours on a first couple of days, plus wear a back up pad. These things are also expensive, so costs add up! Finally I decided to try Diva cup for my next period. I bought size 1 even though I am over 35 and had vaginal deliveries. I sterilized the cup in boiling water for 5 minutes. I read the instructions carefully and I urge everyone to do so. Today I had a party planned with my kids at a trampoline park, but of course Aunt Flo had to come with her horrible cramps and waterfalls from down below. I inserted mine by folding, turned it 360 degrees so it unfolded properly inside and went on with my business. I was reluctant to wear it to the hour of trampoline jumping, so I took it out at home, saw the actual amount of bleeding for couple of hours (only 1/4 of a cup, neat!), rinsed, reinserted and decided to go test it out on trampolines. Hour of drive, hour of bouncing, no leaks, nothing. I know many women are reluctant to deal with a diva cup in a public restroom. Uh, what the heck, by now I was so confident, I removed it in the public bathroom (wash the hands first and don't touch anything), emptied it, wrapped into the paper towel, waited for the sink area to be empty, went out of the stall, rinsed the cup, went back and reinserted. I felt on some deep feminine level of experIence I deserved a medal. Anyhow, I emptied the cup once more after getting home, and again at bedtime. I took a nap at home, so I know this sucker does not leak in bed. I was able to track my flow correctly today, a bonus. I'm hooked. I've ordered another one (by the way why does Whole Foods has it at $39.99 before tax, while it's $25 online on Amazon, have shame Amazon, you own Whole Foods and do not need to make period more difficult for women). I have to admit, I'm not afraid, scared or disgusted by my blood. I know the cap can't be lost in there. I know it is always retrievable. I know now it is better to relax first and then push it down gently with vaginal muscles while pulling by the tip when removing. I got mine retreaved without any spillage or staining. I virtually can't feel it. I feel something, but it is loads better than tampons. Overall, best purchase of the year, for sure. Ladies, if you aren't scared of dealing with your vagina during your period, give it a try. If you faint at the sight of blood, maybe stick to tampons with applicators, nothing wrong with that.

I've been using Diva Cups for over a decade. The first one I purchased lasted ten years, and I only replaced it because I lost it during a move. I have previously tried many different kinds of pads, but all of them caused skin irritation after wearing them for more than a few hours. The DivaCup has never irritated my skin - even when I've (accidentally) worn it for over 24 hours without removal. I do martial arts (karate, jujitsu, and judo) and also swim, and this is definitely the best product for athletes. Anyone who has tried to do a change up/high-low kick or a jump spinning side kick knows how difficult it is to do them when wearing a pad or a tampon. The DivaCup never leaks or gets bunched up to one side, and I can't stress how nice it is to never have to worry about whether or not you have another pad "just in case." It's so comfortable that I will sometimes forget I'm wearing it - which has resulted in me wearing it for over 12 hours without dumping it out. When this happens, if I am being active (running/doing martial arts), I can feel the cup descending -- it's not painful, just a reminder it's there. (And, no, it's never fallen out.) For both cups I've owned, I've cut off the stem -- I'm not sure if I wear mine super-low or what, but the stem sticks out--and I don't like using it to remove the cup. I'd rather get a grip on the base. I've always cleaned my cup between wearings with the hand soap I have at the sink with no issue despite my very sensitive skin. At the end of my period, I boil the cup and - if needed - I scrub it with a handcloth to limit discoloration. The cup does discolor.

I wanted to give this a try for a few months before I review it on here... all I have to say is... how come I didn’t know about this earlier? All my life I’ve worn tampax because My skin would get irrritated with pads, but for some reason even with a brand new tampax I would always leak even just a Tiny bit, it drove me nuts because I never felt completely clean or dry... so the diva cup takes care of all of that I have no leaks and I think in part because is flexible and moves with you so even if your pelvic floor contracts or something it wont leak... on low flow days tampax would always bother me because I wouldn’t have enough of a flow for it to be comfortable but just enough to stain my clothes and as I said I don’t use pads at all... the diva cup is perfect for that you never feel that it’s over drying anything down there and you still have comfortable protection on low flow days! After you get use to inserting and removing you will never go back to pads or tampax... ps i got model 1 but got 3 kids via c section and the size was perfect for me

BEST decision I HAVE EVER made for my body. I was initially grossed out BUT I attempted to insert/remove BEFORE my menstrual so that I could get accustomed to it then walked around with it as well for a little while. Aside from the bleeding, every other symptom of my period is non-existent: ~Virtually No cramps ~No discomfort regarding insertionl/removal ~My lady bits don't "throb" the way they used to when I used pads and tampons ~NO SMELL WHAT SO EVER ~Clean clothes 24/7 (in relation to menstruals only. If your clothes get messy any other way is solely up to you. Lol I mean my list goes on and on. Honestly. One day I inserted right before I left for work (6:45 am) drove for 45 minutes to get to work, worked from 9-5:30 SITTING at my desk, drive home 45 minutes. Got home around 6:30, and NO leaking. At all. Mind you. This was day 2. #LifeChanger My only advice would be to work in insertion & removal a few times BEFORE your menstrual to get the hang of it beforehand.

TLDR; If you’re considering transitioning away from tampons, look no further than the menstrual cup. Environmentally conscious, safe, convenient, and cost effective. With a bonus of empowering oneself with more knowledge of their own anatomy. I always leaked through tampons, mostly because I’m too lazy to change them, but also because tampons barely soak up anything! The cup takes some time to get a “feel” for when you know it’s secure and vacuum sealed, but once you’ve jumped that hurtle, you will only need to empty your cup once in the morning and once at night. Bing bang boom. I love that I know the cup is made of silicone a rather than the unknown chemicals in tampons. I also love that I DONT HAVE TO PAY AN ARM AND A LEG EVERY MONTH FOR STUPID, INEFFECTIVE BLOOD SOAKER-UPPERS. Finally, I have found so much empowerment in getting comfortable with my body. Menstruating is a pain, but it’s also pretty amazing what our bodies can do. Our culture often perpetuates Puritan mysticism toward the female form, resulting in women not even understanding (or worse being ashamed) their own anatomy. For me, using the cup made me infinitely more comfortable with my vagina leading to much more freedom in my sex life and body confidence. If anything, just switch because it saves you money and time. Just do it.

I am converted. I will never go back to tampons and pads ever again. I never have to worry about bringing enough tampons with me to work, on vacation, or anywhere. On vacation, just need the cup. At work? no it lasts 12 hours and i dont have to worry about toxic shock. It is so much better for the environment. definetely it pays for itself in one year. now is the TMI part. honestly I think tampons are gross. how do you dispose of them? there is never a good way. your animals can get into the trashcan. some people flush them, well you will have a septic problem eventually. No one likes pads. I take out the cup twice a day in the morning and when i go to sleep. I have never had overflow issues. the first few times you use it make sure you wear a liner just to make sure you placed it correctly. it does take some time to get used to but i forget im even wearing it half the time. i wish i had ths all my life. would have prevented some traumatic experiences. To clean: i just rinse with water. no soap. before i start my cycle i do get boiling water and clean it prior. sitting for 28 days doesn’t seem entirely hygenic. Love love love this!

I swear by the diva cup! I have been using the Diva cup for 4 years now and recently upgraded to a new one in the size 2 after having my first baby. It's comfortable, long lasting, clean and doesn't leak (when in properly). The only thing I've noticed with the size 2 is it hurts just a teeny tiny bit at the opening of my vagina when being removed. BUT, that could be because my doctor did a "husband stitch" on me after birthing so I'm a little bit "Awkwardly tight" there than before. Overall I LOVE the diva cup and recommend it to all of my girlfriends. A few have made the switch and rave about it now. Clean, eco friendly, financially smart and seriously DOES NOT LEAK. I have HEAVY periods and can go HOURS before emptying and cleaning with this thing in. It does take a little practice getting it right & situated to create a good seal, but it's worth it. And no, it doesn't get suction cupped to your cervix or stuck inside you. Just make sure to be fully relaxed when taking it out and you'll be fine.

I wanted to wait a few months before I wrote a review. The first day or two of using it were a bit traumatic. I had a flash a few times that I would need to have the ER remove it. BUT, I did get the hang of it. I had to cut down the tip so it wasn't so long, per the instructions. AND, when removing, I have to squat down and push, then grab it and twist to break the suction (you'll hear it). I read a great blog post about it by a lady who travels quite a bit. She removes/washes it out in the shower twice a day and I thought that was a good schedule to try. It has really worked great for me. It has never leaked in three months. For the love of everything, when you remove it, KEEP the cup UPRIGHT or else your wherever you are is going to look like a scene from a horror movie. I made this mistake one time. ONE TIME. It shot all over our shower and I thought we may have to move. I do feel it sometimes because the cup feels large, but when I take Ibuprofen for my cramps, that feeling goes away. I very rarely feel it. I think my body has gotten used to it. I wasn't sure which size to buy and bought the medium. It has worked well for me. I do have to fold it over to insert. The instructions give you a few methods. This was a great purchase for me. I HATED pee on tampon strings making my underwear wet and feeling like I smelled like pee. It grossed me out and made me feel gross.