Ok so I've been using my keeper for the past 8 months and it's been great. Love it. But tonight when I emptied it, as I was trying to break the seal I noticed there seemed to be some small lumpy stuff in the skin on my cervix, didn't think much of it and thought it could possibly be uterine lining but when I pulled the cup off and it rubbed against it omg it hurt so bad it felt like I had a paper cut down there or something and so I just did what I had to do and put it back in, and it hurt just as bad putting it in again, and then it still hurt for the next ten minutes when I came back and sat down. Could this just be that my cervix is really sensitive or does it sound like something that needs to be checked out by a gyno?
I try not to complain to my mom about stuff unless it's still there after four days, two weeks and I'll ask for a docs appointment. I just noticed this tonight though.

Note: sorry I forgot to mention that it is a keeper mooncup.
and for an update, I tried to pull it out again last night and it hurt even worse. So I've been wearing yucky pads all day.
But thank you, all, for your help. I'm very sorry I forgot to mention that it was a mooncup.

So this is my first entry. I've been using a keeper for about 6 or 7 months now with ups and downs. My husband found it on the internet bless his heart. He suffers right along with me. Very heavy periods, rotten p.m.s, many, many pads per month and don't even bother with tampons.
I waited with bated breath for my keeper to arrive having read all the success stories. Actually being able to leave the house without fear of flooding! Oh the joy!  It arrives with days to spare and off we go. Way too over confident in it's ability I went pad free and lucky I was at home. Ok so maybe I didn't put it in right? More attempts and 7 cycles later I still have 'leakage' which I have learned to live with. One to two pads a day is way better than 5 or 6. I found the '7' fold to be more successful. The first two  days of my period I seem to be emptying it around 4 times a day and then it tapers off. I wouldn't go with out one now. It's given me much more confidence to go out on 'those' days and most of the time it's out of mind out of sight. Now for the bummer...... I'm pretty sure I have an irritation to latex after reading other journals. Thrush like symtoms appear during my period and continue for a week or so after. Itching, burning and very sensitive around my genital area with tearing skin.  Thinking back I always blamed the pill for giving me thrush but once hubby had the snip - no more condoms, no more pill and no more thrush. Could have been the condoms.
Usually the week after my period is 'on' week and these symptoms have put a dampener on that. Poor husband wants to trade me in for the updated model.  So after much reading I have ordered the silicon Moon Cup. Just finished my cycle so I wont be able to test it when it comes so I'll wait patiently..........

Hi there, I used to belong to this community a few years ago when I first started using the Keeper, which I've now had for about four years. I've been really happy with it except that in the past 6-9 months, I've been having annoying symptoms associated with my period--headaches, miserable runny nose, itchy eyes. It finally dawned on me that this may be a new latex allergy, but I don't get much itching or sensitivity in the vulva/vagina--which seems to be what everyone else mentions. Is that possible?

On the same lines, does anyone have a recommendation between the Mooncup and the Diva Cup for someone who otherwise wouldn't be giving up the Keeper?

Hi,

So.  I have gone back into the tagged archives and read up on latex allergies developing with use of the Keeper (what I currently use) as well as reading some outside sources. 

I have a quick question that I didn't really see addressed anywhere else:  for those of you who experienced a reaction, was your general pain/discomfort/itchyness internal, external, or both? 

The last couple periods, I ended up with some nasty itchy discomfort but only externally.  I went to the doctor to talk about a possibility of a reaction to the latex and she said that, internally, I was totally fine and healthy and didn't look like I was having any sort of reaction.  But externally, my skin was just really freaking irritated.

My doctor recommended that I go back to tampons for a couple months to see if this problem reoccurs but...I've used tampons or pads or a combination of both since I started bleeding and this has NEVER happened to me.  So.  I've decided to switch to a silicone cup, instead.  I am just curious if my irritation is similar to those who have latex allergies/sensitivities or this is some anomalous development.

Thank you!

thanks so much for the quick responses!!!!

my original post is below and a lot of you thought it might be a latex allergy, but here is my question though - i don't think i've ever had a problem with laxtex condoms... (reg. condoms are laxtex right?) or blowing up balloons, etc.  i tried the test of rubbing my keeper on the inside of my wrist and it didn't really turn pink or red.  is it possible the keeper could just be causing me yeast infections?  and only recently, but not before?

i generally just use sensitive skin unscented soap to wash it during my cycle and then recently the vinegar solution.

THIS WAS MY ORIGINAL POST:
I have been using a keeper for about 5 cycles now, and i finally have insertion-removal down, but lately it seems like every period causes me irritation and itching.  i had increasingly been noticing that i was getting itchy during my period and irritated like my vagina was swollen.  this last period, the itching was very intense (no discharge or abnormal smells) but i did a OTC yeast infection insertion and it cleared up.  (i did the yeast infection med like the last day of my period)  (also i have never had a yeast infection before so i started thinking the keeper caused it...before i was just washing it with soap, but now inbetween periods, i do a vinegar solution and during the period, i use soap)

i am on my period again now and after one day of using the keeper, i am feeling irritated and itching again.  i had mentioned this to my gynecologist and she had said for general irritation to try olive oil and try to stay away from dri-weave pads (which i use as back-up to the keeper)  i think maybe initial irritation is possibly from the last bit of stem on my keeper which i am going to trim again, and the itching could maybe be from the pads, but it seems like more than that. 

now, i am just wondering if i have developed an allergy to the keeper? if it is giving me yeast infections?  it;s not going to save me money if it gives me yeast infections every month and more importantly it is very uncomfortable!  i don't want to have to switch to something else or stop using it or more importantly jump to conclusions.  so, i was wondering if someone else has any thoughts?

thanks in advance for making my period better...

I have been using a keeper for about 5 cycles now, and i finally have insertion-removal down, but lately it seems like every period causes me irritation and itching.  i had increasingly been noticing that i was getting itchy during my period and irritated like my vagina was swollen.  this last period, the itching was very intense (no discharge or abnormal smells) but i did a OTC yeast infection insertion and it cleared up.  (i did the yeast infection med like the last day of my period)  (also i have never had a yeast infection before so i start thinking the keeper caused it...before i was just washing it with soap, but now inbetween periods, i do a vinegar solution and during the period, i use soap)

i am on my period again now and after one day of using the keeper, i am feeling irritated and itching again.  i had mentioned this to my gynecologist and she had said for general irritation to try olive oil and try to stay away from dri-weave pads (which i use as back-up to the keeper)  i think maybe initial irritation is possibly from the last bit of stem on my keeper which i am going to trim again, and the itching could maybe be from the pads, but it seems like more than that. 

now, i am just wondering if i have developed an allergy to the keeper? if it is giving me yeast infections?  it;s not going to save me money if it gives me yeast infections every month and more importantly it is very uncomfortable!  i don't want to have to switch to something else or stop using it or more importantly jump to conclusions.  so, i was wondering if someone else has any thoughts?

thanks in advance for making my period better...

Hi all! I searched the memories before starting this post, but I really didn't find exactly what I was looking for. I apologize if these questions are repetitive!

I've been using a Keeper for about two years now. I am somewhat prone to yeast infections, and lately I've found that I get one almost every time I have my period. I'm wondering if my Keeper could possibly be contributing to this? I wash it thoroughly with hot water and mild soap, but because I can't boil it I'm worried I'm not getting it clean enough. Also I'm wondering if what I'm experiencing could actually be a new latex allergy that I'm just mistaking for yeast infections.

I've been considering switching to a different cup to see if that might ameliorate the problem. Has any one else switched from the Keeper to something else for this (or similar) reason? Which cup did you switch to and did it help?

I'm pretty sure I'd like to make a switch to a silicone cup, if only for the added convenience of being able to boil it. But I don't want to shell out the money for a new cup and just end up with the exact same problems. Please advise!

I've used a keeper for the past three years, initially with no problem. Quite a bit of this three-year period was spent with only intermittent sexual activity, so i could blame discomfort after sex on the fact that i had been in an extensive period of relative celibacy, so of course I'd be sore the next day! It didn't occur to me that it could possibly be a latex sensativity and that the condom was the culprit.

Recently, though, there's been a new love interest in my life, and the sex continues to be uncomfortable afterwards. I talked to my gynecologist about this and she said that it's really likely that I've got myself a latex sensativity. Condom-less (post-STD test) sex is much more confortable, so I think she might be right.

Here's my question: before I used the keeper, i had no latex sensativity. Condoms were fine. Here we are, three years later, and I know i have to change to a silicone cup because of this new development. I was wondering if my use of the keeper could be what caused my sensativity.

thanks a bunch, everyone! It's been a while--since i started using the keeper, in fact--since i've been a regular in this community. I did always like it and find it informative.

ok so i have this enourmous problem. (actually several)
first, i am allergic to tampons and pads. i used to only be allergic to anything "always" brand. now, I am allergic to all brands except organic pads. i can no longer use tampons without feeling absolutely horrible. i get feelings so often like i am getting an infection and then the symptoms will dissapear randomly or will lesson to a sub-infection level. I am often allergic to hypo-allergenic lube and sometimes even my boyfriend's spit. (YEAH I KNOW) I also have problems with latex condoms. I am on birth control and we have both been tested and are monogamous so we don't use condoms anymore. I am almost always very very sore after sex. I have (apparently) a very long/high perineum. It partially covers the opening, and has ironically grown higher after abstaining from sex for about a month (we tried to give it time to get better which made things worse) I want to start using a menstrual cup but i'm scared that i won't be able to even get it in. are there virgins out there who use a cup and is it rather hard/painful to use? could i be allergic to the silicone cups? (can people be allergic to silicone)
also, I talked to r gynocologists about the perineum thing. one told me it was a bit high (for chrsit's sake, my boyfriend gets CAUGHT on it when he tried to enter) and gave me numbing cream to desensitize it. she told me that if that didnt work she would snip it. i talked to my regular gyno who told me that it "was probably just a matter of lack of stimulation and or lube" and she's a woman. fucking hell. so here's my question; has anyone ever heard of perineum snipping besides during childbirth? is it safe or could it screw me up even more?

on a lighter note, my boyfriend used to call my vag the little man in the boat, but recently the nickname has evolved to the angry man in the boat because it gets so well, angry all the time.

I posted this in cloth pads, but I thought a lot of people that use cups would be interested. If I'm not allowed to post this , feel free to delete it.

I recently called the number on the back of a package of Always pads. I told them my skin peeled the last time I used their product. They informed me that they didn't have to tell me what the ingredients were. They also told me to hold on to the pads in case the "safety team" needs to retrive them. Please sign my petition. People have a right to know what they are paying for.

http://www.petitiononline.com/pmppg9/petition.html

Hello everyone! I just joined, like 2.5 seconds ago (minus the time it'll take me to write this...)!
I just ordered my first menstrual cup (yay!): The Keeper. I decided on the Keeper after a lot of research and after talking to friends and friends of friends who use it and swear by it. I ordered it through the Many Moons site since it was the cheapest one I could find, and it came with an additional mini washable pad (double yay!). I do still have a few concerns, though, many of which arose after reading through a lot of the posts in this community:

1. Even though I did a lot of research on the benefits of the Keeper vs. Divacup, (decided on the Keeper since it's been around the longest and heard the Diva is not as soft/comfortable, etc.) I'm suddenly a little more concerned about the whole latex allergy thing. I heard about the latex thing before with the Keeper (and I shrugged it off since I've never really had a problem with latex in the past, ever), but now I'm reading entries about women developing a latex allergy as a result of the Keeper. If so, I'd rather not have to deal with something like that at all. I've had a lot of problems going on down there this year and the thought of something else developing makes me cringe and cower in fear. Do I cancel the order somehow, cave in and get a Divacup instead?

2. Has anyone else ordered from the Many Moons site? It seems pretty great to me as far as I can see - she's been around for almost 20 yrs, she offers the money back guarantee, and hey, anyone who posts a picture of herself and her baby children on the net have to be trustworthy, right? Am I right, guys? Eh? Err...nevermind. In any case, I was just wondering if anyone has any experience ordering from her at all. I'm having it shipped to me (not Airmail) in Canada (Ontario, near Toronto) and am scared that it's going to take like three months to get here or something. Any input would be super helpful.

I really hope to get your advice, opinions, and expertise on these little concerns of mine - I guess I just need some reassurance.  All of these concerns just seemed to pop up after I'd made the online purchase and came here (even though I'd done a lot of research and talked to a lot of people beforehand, weird). So, that's it. Thoughts, anyone?



UPDATE!!    I cancelled my order with Many Moons, and the woman who runs it was very sweet, prompt and understanding - I would most definitely recommend her (she offers the cheapest online prices for both the Keeper and the Divacup that I could find, - you also get a mini Many Moons pad along with your order! -  she's Canadian, and, well, really nice!) I can't say anything but nice things about them.  I will be going back there for cloth pads in the future - she even offers a free pattern and instructions so that you can make your own!

In any case, I just came back from the Health Food store down the street where I bought my first DivaCup (yay me!) and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks everyone for your help and advice, this is such a great resource :).

( Odd question for those who are allergic to latex )

Okay.. I just wantde to be sure.
I think I want to go with the mooncup. I know the wedsite address is www.mooncup.co.uk butI typed in mooncup.com for the hell of it and it's a site for The Keeper.. I just want to make sure that the mooncup is not the same thing as the keeper and that if I buy it through the uk company I'll get a moonup. The problem is I'm allergic to latex and I don't want to risk getting anything with latex in it in myself.

I am very sad because I have a keeper and fear that I may be developing a latex sensitivity. :-( So I just ordered a Divacup, and I'm hoping that it works out for me. Wish me luck!

Hello. I'm Sofia.

( cut to save space on friendspages )

Thanks for the help! If there's anything else you need to know, just ask.

Today, my Keeper retires. I'm sad about it. We had a good four years together until the southern regions began to, um, complain. I gave it two more chances. I tried trimming the stem, which I had never trimmed despite being substantially longer than the Diva or Moon. For some reason, I could never get it to go where it usually went. I guess there was a reason.

Today was its third chance, and while I wasn't in agony, I could feel it all day long. Later, I looked up info on latex allergies and I was not delighted by what I found. Being a poor college kid, I kept giving the Keeper chances...college is temporary but anaphylactic shock is forever. So I ran right out and biked/bussed to the next town, slapped down $38, and here I am, admiring my new Diva pin and cup. Incidentally, it's the very same store where I bought my Keeper.

Does anyone come up to you when you wear your Diva pin, and say that they are also in the, erm, secret society of happy menstruaters?

EDIT: One front-row attendance at a Muse concert later, no complaints. Accolades, in fact. It's fun to be a satisfied customer a second time in a row.

I just got my diva cup in the mail today!

It feels so much softer than my keeper... and smoother, too. Not as tacky.

I had to retire the keeper today (forever this time). I figured this cycle would be its final test... I've used some form of lubrication every time I've inserted it to ensure no undue friction on my tender parts, but today, after three days of only minor discomfort, it burned to insert, hurt to wear, and even after removal, it burns to pee. It is getting retired.

I <3 the Diva pin and put it on my biking backpack (never leaves my side) and will likely boil the diva cup for use when my lady bits stop hurting. XD

Oh- also-
does anyone know about the particulars of recycling a keeper cup? It's well past its return point, but I want it to go somewhere where it can be of use.

AND

Silly as this may sound, I had an epiphany. I realized my big problem (or most of it)... I *knew* the cup went into the vagina, I *hadn't* understood yet that it was supposed to go around the cervix. Inserting it that way has prevented the majority of my leaks, and now I can happily say I *really* enjoy the cup that much more.

I've been using a Keeper for almost three years now, and I'm only on my second day of using the Diva cup, but I've already been converted.

Why did I switch from the Keeper to the Diva Cup, if the Keeper was working for me? Here's why:

Color:
I like the fact that the Diva Cup is clear. It's easier to tell when it's really clean.

Measurements:
I like the fact that the Diva Cup has lines inside to tell you how much you are bleeding.

Ridges:
I like the fact that the Diva Cup has ridges on the bottom to help you grab onto the sucker when you remove it. I can't have a stem on the cups because it irritates me too much, and the ridges really do help.

Silicone:
The Diva Cup is a bit softer than my Keeper, and more comfortable.

(Did the material of the Diva Cup change slightly in the past few years? In the memories, people talk about how the Diva Cup is stiffer than the Keeper, but in my experience it's actually softer. Maybe my Keeper hardened over time?)

The main decision behind why I bought a Diva cup is the fact that my Keeper has been bothering my cootch for a while. After a few days of using it I would become irritated, and insertion and removal of the cup would be painful enough that I stopped using the cup for the last half of my period. This has gotten worse with each successive period.

I'm not sure why this happened. Maybe I'm developing an allergy to latex. Maybe I'm not cleaning the Keeper well enough or reacting to the cleanser, though I can't see how; I've used the same method and products I always have -- water and Ivory soap during, a hot water and vinegar soak after. Maybe it's because I also use a Nuva Ring; I've never had this sort of irritation before I started on the Ring, but then again I didn't have problems the first eight months that I was on the Ring (I've been using the Ring for about 16 months). Maybe it's a combination of a few things.

But I took a guess and bought a Diva Cup ... and all I know is that it's day two of the Diva, and my cootch isn't even hinting that it's going to be hurting.

I'll keep my Keeper, but it'll be stuffed in the back of my undie drawer and taken out only in emergencies.

Ok, since I've established that folks can see my post... ;)
I've been noticing irritation from my Keeper... not immediately, but by the end of my cycle, I'll feel sore and, well, irritated, and I'm wondering if it's possible to have a slight enough latex allergy that after a week of constant contact one would notice a response, but not after say, wearing latex gloves for ten minutes or wearing a bandaid, etc. Any suggestions would be nice... That, and if anyone has any success stories of the switch-over from Keepers to Divas, feel free to share!

Thanks!

I'm curious if there is anything like the keeper that does not contain any latex or rubber products. I have a latex allergy, and from my experience with condoms.. *ouch* I don't want to repeat that!

Any advice?

*xoxo to priya444 and gemmedazure*

Has anyone purposely switched from the keeper to the diva cup? I use the keeper by my sister decided on the latter as she feels the silicone might be less absorbant of bacteria. I know also that the diva cup has measurments. And isn't gum rubber associated with latex somehow, causing allergies?

I've decided to get either a Diva or a Mooncup, since my body has a love/hate relationship with latex, but I can't decide which. I wasn't able to find a comparison between the two in the memories or in previous posts (I read pretty much the entire archive). Has anyone tried both? Which did you prefer? Pros/cons of either from anyone that's tried one or the other? Thanks.

I first heard about the Keeper in the menstrual hut community a long time ago, and it was a really exciting concept for me, but I was pretty upset since I'm severely allergic to latex, and couldn't use it. Then I heard about the Divacup and Mooncup, and am anxious to try them out. I've read back through some of the stuff in this community and gathered some information about them, and I just have a few questions/want to see if I have my facts straight here. No one, it appears, has yet done a Moon vs. Diva comparison, but I can work around that. Hehe. ;)
Basically, I'm trying to compile a more comprehensive comparison of the three... as much for my own use as for anyone else's. Just correct me if I'm wrong on anything;

1)The Moon and Diva are both made of clear/translucent silicon while the Keeper is opaque latex.

2)Structurally it seems that the Keeper and Moon are more similar (longer stems to start out with, no measurements, and slightly smaller in volume) while the Diva varies from those two.
Update: The Mooncup now has grip ridges on the stem like the Diva.

3)The silicon of the Moon/Diva is stiffer or less pliable than the Keeper, which is
a)good, because it pops open easier and creates a better seal
b)bad, because it's harder to insert and more painful (or at least, you can feel it more) when in

4)All three cups get softer and more pliable with long term use. (Is this true? I've heard it about the Keeper, and in passing about the Diva, so I assume the Moon is the same?)

5)The Moon and Diva can both be boiled for sterilization, while the Keeper cannot. Tea Tree Oil is also recommended for keeping them clean. (Are there any special cleaning techniques for any of them? Especially for keeping the Keeper sterile?)

6)Pricing:
Mooncup: £17.99 $28.45 (Euro) 27.50 including Shipping/Handling
Keeper: $35.00 + $2 to $5+ Shipping/Handling (depending on where you are and how many you order)
Diva: $25.50 +$3 Shipping/Handling (to the US, more if you're ordering more)

7)Websites:
The Keeper
Moon Cup
Diva Cup

If there's any aspect that I'm missing, please comment and tell me

Hi fellow Keeper lovers!

Here's a little poll, just out of my curiosity. I've been considering trading in my Keeper for a Moon Cup because of mild itchiness from the latex. Your votes will be greatly appreciated! If you'd like to state WHY you like one menstrual cup versus the other, that'd be wonderful, too!

Poll #113056 Keeper vs. Moon Cup
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Which menstrual cup do you use?

If you have used both, which do you prefer?

Thanks for voting!

-Emily