Fortunately I have quite a light flow so have never (so far) needed to empty my cup in a public toilet but I'm sure that time will come, so my question is this:

Is wiping your cup down with toilet paper safe?

I know there have been millions of disscussions about it but I can't find an answer to this particular question. I know silicone cups can't harbour any bacteria but from what I have read TSS is caused mainly by the fibres embedding themselves in the viginal walls and bacteria then growing around the tiny fibres.

Whenever I have even rested my cup on toilet paper while it dries tons of fibres have been on it afterwards so if a cup is wped with it and immediately re-inserted then these fibres must go inside the vagina. Toilet paper is bleached and treated with chemicals the same as tampons are (perhaps not as many) as far as I know, so is it safe to do this and have those fibres inside you?

I am thinking about getting a YellowCup, and before I get one I am making sure I know exactly what to expect.

I am going into the 8th grade next year. And at school I really don't have much time to get stuff at my locker (that's why I am thinking about getting a LadyCup)  anyway, so I can't like bring a  spray bottle or anything. So how can I clean it inside the stall?  I was thinking about just wetting a paper towel and bringing it with me into the stall.  Do you think other girls would think that's weird? lol

And my final question, are there any other alternatives to a spray bottle? so I don't have to stop at my locker.  Thank you!
 

Hi!
I'm new to this community and cups in general (at least, in terms of using them myself). I've been thinking about buying a cup for a while and decided to buy a box of insteads on a whim yesterday. So far, I'm very happy--unlike some of the other posters I've read here, they fit comfortably and don't leak at all, except when I'm on the toilet. (I started on a medium-for-me flow day, and in general I have a lighter-than-average flow throughout my period.) The only problem I've been having is removing it, since pulling on the bottom rim tends to just pull it into my pubic bone, and hooking my finger on the inside of the top rim inevitably leads to spillage, but I figure I'll get a system with some practice.

My biggest qualm with them is the waste, and after reading posts here, I decided I'll try to reuse them through each cycle. I do have a couple of questions for those of you who do use them multiple times that I couldn't find answers to.
1) I've noticed most people here who reuse their insteads put a bigger emphasis on cleaning/rinsing it between uses than people who go with reusable cups. What do you do when you're in a public restroom? Wipe it out? Bring a water bottle to rinse it out? Dump it and reinsert?
2) The information says not to leave it in for more than 12 hours. Assuming I'm not filling the cup in that period of time, is it okay to leave it in for longer? If I'm already reusing it, it doesn't seem to make a big difference if it stays in for a longer time, rather than taking it out after 12 hours, rinsing it with warm water, and putting it right back in.

Thanks!

I meant to do this before, like, you know when I was actually on my period, but I didn't get around to it until now.

This is my third month with my cup and this is what I learned this month:

-If I change my cup and the holes aren't clear when I put it back in, it will leak.

-If I don't kegel when I put my cup back in, it will leak.

-I don't really need lube. Nice to have it, but I really don't need it.

I think I did pretty well this month. The only time I had leaks were with the above circumstances so I think next month I'll drop down to a liner instead of a pad (much celebration on this point; I can only get pads to stay in place if I wear girdle...ugh). I finally figured out about how much time I can go between changings so that makes things easier.

Now, questions:

-I tried my first public changings this month (my friends literally kept me out from 10 am to 4am on my first/second day(s) which is(are) my heaviest day(s); that would have been a *nightmare* with tampons). When I change my cup in public there isn't always a sink around. Of course, this is how I discovered that my holes need to be clear. How do you make sure the holes are clear if you can't get a stall with a sink?

-Has anyone ever dropped their cup in a public toilet before? What did you do? I'm just curious on this point.

-This is slightly more worrisome. My cramps have changed with my cup. Before, I would just get cramps from the tops of my knees up to about where my thighs met my hips. I've never had abdominal cramps. With my cup the leg cramps are gone, but twice now I've gotten a sharp pain in my abdomen region while wearing my cup. It goes away like nothing happened, and then it comes back. Anyone else experienced this?

Thanks guys! Much love!

Okay guys, so I have my first cup problem.

First off, I used my size 1 Divacup perfectly on my first period with it last month. It worked great, I got it in on the second try, it didn't fall out when I pooped. I can't change it in the shower because the stem and cup bottom are completely up inside me unless I sit down and push like I'm pooping. I apparently have a ridonkulously long vagina, since everyone else seems to have cup-sticking-out problems and needing to cut off the stem while I really wish my cup's stem was 2-3 cm longer. If there's a longer one out there than the Divacup I'd go for it just to make removal a little easier! But the cup itself still works great and I haven't had a problem actually getting it out either. I love that I can wear it for 12 hours and not worry about it, I love that I never have to change it in public restrooms, I love that I totally can't feel it inside me at all. I'm a complete convert.






( EXCEPT. )


So I'm totally freaked out and upset that my cup would betray me like this. And I'm paranoid about it doing it again. And I'm upset that now I suddenly have a week every month when I can't swim, because I love swimming and recently started an exercise regimen including 1-2 days of swimming every week. But most of all just feeling completely betrayed by my cup.

Can anyone help me make sure this never happens again?

I just bought my first Diva Cup last night, and I'm excited to use it!

But I've got a question.

Are there any alternatives to public cleaning if I do not have access to a "gentle" hand soap, such as say, baby wipes? Are those good enough to clean my cup when I'm in a bind without worrying about getting those little germies all up my insides?

Thanks in advance! :D

I'm planning on heading out to Portland for my spring break and staying in hostels. I've never been out there and am not sure what the bathroom situation is like in the hostels, so I think getting some disinfecting/cleaning wipes for my cup is a good idea. (I haven't yet been able to comfortable take out the cup in shower, only on the toilet.)

I saw them on the Lunette website (I have a Lunette and have been poking around there), but haven't actually seen them - or anything like them - sold online.

Do they not exist? Is there a better alternative? Should I just take a bottle of water into the bathroom stall with me all the time? (I'm also thinking that I might need to empty it on the plane - I'll be flying from the East coast probably with layovers, so even if I don't empty on the plane, I might need to empty in the airport bathroom. I have a long history of getting my period whenever I'm stuck in an airport.)

I looked in the "camping/backpacking tag" and saw that people have used biodegradable wet wipes. Is there something in particular that I should look for that wouldn't irritate me up there?

Hi everyone! I'm eager to get a cup, but I'm concerned about cleaning it at school. The bathrooms are disgusting. They don't lock, have limited toilet paper/paper towel/soap supply, and because we're in a temporary building overcrowded. TMI, but as a result, I generally squat to do my buisness. Would this make it harder for me to remove/insert the cup? Also, it really seems like an overkill to buy a stainless steel water bottle SOLEY for cleaning my cup, but I don't use plastic water bottles anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions about squirt bottles I can use to carry soap/water? I don't have my cup yet but I know that I probably would want it as clean as possible. (I'm a germ freak.)

PS. I'm in higschool, cleaning it in the communual sink isn't an option, partially because if I went to the sink to rinse the cup out, I'd loose my stall.

Thanks!!

I'm currently awaiting my LadyCup (should be here any day now - yay!) and I'm trying to decide the best way to clean it both during and after my period.

I read so often to wash with "soap" but to tell you the truth I have no idea which soap to use - I have so many in my cupboard and plenty more to pick from at the shops.  I'm in Australia so if anyone wants to mention a specific brand they use feel free.

Anyways my main questions are ...

1. What should I use during my period?

• I need things suitable for bothin public (preferably in the stall) and at home
• I've seen lunette wipes (is this overkill?)
• Is good old toilet paper ok? (note: a spray bottle is not convienent for me)

2. What should I use at the end of my period?

• Something I can do in my bathroom or bedroom would be good - boiling my LC in the kitchen wouldn't go down well in the family

Note: My LC is technically a LilacCup and I just want to make sure that the colour won't be effected by anything I clean it with (other than the benefits of removing staining)

Thanks!

I feel like a child opening new presents when I found this forum. I can use my cup with different folds?! GASP! I am so excited to try these new methods that I found out. I just wish public restrooms had sinks in the stalls so that I don't feel so foolish waddling with a cup wrapped in bloody toilet paper towards the sinks and wishing that no one walked in to find me dumping my mammalian protein down the sink. It seems so unsanitary. So that's another question I have. How do I make public use of a diva cup sanitary?


I feel like I'm playing roulette sometimes when I'm putting my cup in, and the suction created when I pull it out from an improper placement feels like my soul is being sucked out from my cervix. Ugh. Bloody hands and increased cramps aren't the most promising signs of this device for me, but I'll press onwards. I don't want to go back to using cotton tampons. Especially after reading about GMO cotton and the allergic reactions that fieldworkers encounter daily. All the more reason to move toward the cup. Is TSS really caused by bacterial infections? or really allergic reactions from pesticidal cotton? Hmmmm, lol. I'll stop ranting now about that as I'm preaching to the choir. I'm glad to have joined this community!

thanks to my lovely Diva, i was able to take a bath tonight! a bath! during my period! will wonders never cease???

i had a little trouble this morning when i first put it in, i couldnt tell if it was leaking or if it was just the residual stuff in my vaj coming out...eventually it seemed to work though, and i had a very good day with it.

however, tomorrow i go back to school, and have to deal with it there! and i know there are millions of posts about this, and i will go look through them, but i'm still not sure exactly what i'm gonna do about cleaning. i don't shower every day, generally, so that's out. hmmm. i think what i'll do is bring a bottle of water into the stall with me at night to rinse it out, but during the day just dump and wipe and reinsert...will wash better in the shower, but i'm freaked about using soap since people are so adamant about using bland stuff :-/ so i think i'll skip the soap, and just boil it in the microwave or pour boiling water over it or whatever at the end of my cycle. or maybe i'll buy a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide. ugh. decisions, decisions...

do you lovely people think i'll be ok without using soap? has anyone used regular body wash (i use bath and body works) to clean theirs, and with what results?

So, I just finished my first full cycle with my Diva Cup, and feel I've learned some valuable lessons, such as:

1)Riding a horse is fine with the Diva's long stem. Bareback, maybe not so much (although I trimmed the stem more after the first experience and it was fine the next time I decided to pull the saddle off, just a bit sore but not to the extent I was sore before and it didn't last 3 days!)

2)Plans for camping will always result in a late period, to start the day the camping trip is to start. 2 weeks late, starts the very morning of a 3-day camping trip. Thankfully it did start that morning though, or else I wouldn't have thought to bring my cup!

3)Couple this with moodswings and heavier bleeding than normal(I forgot to make a doctor's appointment till it was too late and had to take a break from the regulation of the pill for a month because I didn't have any, so glad that hormone rollercoaster is now over!). My cup leaked like crazy for the first 2 days unless I emptied it every 3 hours, and even then there would be a bit of leaking.
This will be re-evaluated once I get back to my normal bleeding.

4)Porta-potties are not fun while using a leaking cup. Especially when 1/2 of them are unable to be cleaned because they are on a hill that has mud so thick the trucks can't get up it... and therefore there were only 10 for 3000 people. They kept servicing them, but it was still disgusting. I was using pads as well for the leaking, and the " 'Always' clean wipes" they attach to their pads now are WONDERFUL for cleaning a cup in a porta-potty!

5) Despite the leaking, the cup is SO worth it! I didn't have to make "I can't go swimming because..." excuses for the first time EVER!(I hate tampons with a passion). Which was awesome since the swimming hole was a waterfall you could safely climb:). I was thankful that we had to go get ice every morning because it meant a real bathroom I could use to give the cup a good clean.

All I've been reading lately is "down on the Diva" because it leaks so much, but I really don't feel like getting a new cup- I like that it's made in Canada, I like the material it's made out of, I do like it's size(I have a VERY long canal, you could probably sail a toy boat down there), the Diva sits very far up for me. Is there any techniques to maybe get it to not leak so much? I don't know if it was overflowing(wouldn't the overflow just come out when you remove the cup, up like a turned upside down bottle when you unscrew the cap?) or just leaking. Because my canal is so long and I have very short fingers there is no way I can find my cervix, so placement is iffy! I've tried and it's just wasted time. I have perfected the origami fold though, no more umbrella cup for me!
Happy Days!

so i asked over at vaginapagina and they told me to come here so...here i am!

right i'm interested in menstrual cups cos i've sorta looked stuff up about them but um...yeah...i'll ask my questions:

1) when i'm wearing a tampon and i (i'm really sorry i don't know the technical terms for this and i'll sound really vulgar sorry!) poop it's often really painful like it's squeezing my vagina on the way past or smething, and my mum said this was normal and she used to feel like that too sometimes, but what i want to know is with a menstrual cup will the be worse better or about the same?

2) also 15 & virgin, will my vagina be too small (or the hymen not broken enough or whatever) so i won't be able to get it in?

3) and also i couldn't find out if you need to wash ti between each time of putting it back in or just emty into the loo or what, being at school most the time i'm actually on my period it'd be realyl difficult to wash it in the middle of the day, so does it need washing or will i be okay until i get home?

thanks

Émie

So I have been a “Diva” now for the past 3 months and I love it! I cant believe how much of a difference it has made in my life for that awful week of the month! I love it so much that I have converted a few ladies in my office to Diva’s as well. The first month I used my DivaCup, I swear I was gonna give up so many times. That month not only did I have a hard time figuring out the internal landscape in my V-jay-jay, but then I got a nasty yeast infection. (Thanks to all the ladies ideas, tips and advice I found her with the cup support!) I opted to try the yogurt in my DivaCup for 3 day and it worked like a charm!

So my biggest issue was using it at work. How was I going to clean it? OMG I was mortified at the thought of using the public bathroom with only 1 sink and 2 stalls. So I turned once again to the helpful support on here ladies and I couldn’t quite agree or use some of the suggestions. That first couple of days the first time using my DivaCup was a straight disaster with blood everywhere.

Then one day I was sitting at my work desk and low and behold it hit me. On my desk sat this cheesy red & grey plastic wine goblet with a spider on it. My Co-worker and I won it bowling and playing games that you get tickets for. I think this thing cost my 30 tickets lol! So I grabbed a black sharpie and decorated it with Diva and a warning not to drink from this cup. And lots of X’s for death and my name on the underside as well. I would so hate for anyone to think they can use it for a drink. Hence the “Diva Chalice” was born!

I leave it in the bathroom at work and return it to my desk at night. I fill it with warm water and simply bring it into the stall with me. I use half the water to rinse my DivaCup & the second half to rinse my fingers. It also makes a great Bidet if I need to freshen up. If I have any water left I simply pour it down when I flush. Easy breezy!

To all you ladies out there who aren’t using it because of the same issue, I hope this helps as an Idea to help get you to the lovely land of Divahood!!

I've recently started living in Japan, and since I'm super busy here I have no choice but to often empty my cup in public restrooms. Anyone who has been to Japan has probably encountered those fancy Toto toilets that are in a lot of public restrooms. One of the functions is bidet. It would be so handy to use the bidet to rinse my cup in an inconvenient place like a public bathroom...is it recommended? I figure the cleanliness of the water has been approved for coming in contact with sensitive areas anyway...?

Hey everyone,

I'm seriously considering buying a Diva Cup because of all of the great things I've read about them, but I guess I'm hesitant because of the few negative/neutral things I've read too. I was hoping I could post a few questions here so you guys could ease my mind a little :)

Question 1: Considering I'm a 19 year old virgin, have a somewhat heavy flow for the first couple of days of my period, and use the largest sized tampons, do you think I would have a lots of pain my first time using it?

Question 2: How do you REALLY use it? I mean, I've read the basics about how to get it in and out, but I've read so many stories about ladies having to "bear down hard" and lay down in the shower and on their beds every time they take their cups out or put them in... I don't think I'd be too comfortable doing that. I'm all for doing everything over a toilet, but any other way or place just seems kinda weird, especially if I'm in a situation like staying the night away from home. I'm also in college, so if I have empty it at school, I don't want to take a long time getting it in and out.

Question 3: How would you compare it to the convenience of a tampon? For example, with a tampon, all I have to do is open it up, put it in, toss the trash, and then after a few hours take it out with not much fuss or mess cause I have a little method to it. Its really quick and easy. Is there a quick and easy option with a Diva Cup?

I'm really hoping that I'm just overanalyzing everything, because I really want to be able to use a Diva Cup... they seem so much healthier and so much better for the environment.

I know this was a REALLY long post, so THANK YOU all for taking the time to read this!! I really do appreciate it :) :)

I went to look at colleges with my daughter, not sure how a cup will work, with essentially no private bathrooms.  Any suggestions

I just bought a DivaCup, and as I'm expecting my period soon, I've been practicing getting it in for the last couple of days. The problem is, I'm having a lot of trouble getting it to seal. I'm not sexually active, so getting it in is somewhat tricky and uncomfortable. If I don't use lube, it sticks too much and pops open before I have it fully inserted. However, if I do use lube on the cup itself, it sticks together and won't pop open once I have it inside. I tried applying lube internally with my fingers and then inserting the cup, but it was still too slippery to get a grip on the cup and turn it to create a seal. Any suggestions?

Also, I'll be living in a dorm setting for the summer (costuming a state Shakespeare Festival), and I'm a bit nervous about always cleaning it in a shared bathroom. Has anyone ever had someone confront them about cleaning your cup in a public restroom? How did you respond? I read elsewhere in the community about boiling a mug of water in the community microwave and then dropping in your cup when you get to your room, which is an excellent tip. But what do you do when public restrooms are your ONLY option (i.e., you don't have a "home" bathroom that you can wait for)?

Edit: Thank you all so much for your advice! I got it inserted, and it appears to have sealed. I'm supposed to start tomorrow, so we'll see how it holds. Insertion and removal are still a bit painful, but my body will get used to it. If this keeps me from needing tampons or pads ever again, it will totally be worth it!

So for the first time in my life I am actually sad to say my period is almost over (and that I'm looking forward to the next one).
This was my first cycle with my cup and it went perfect. No leaks. No problems!
I'm thrilled!

One question though, any suggestions on cleaning you cup in a public bathroom?

I looked through the public-cleaning tags and didn't find my question.

I am pretty comfortable with the public usage and cleaning the only thing that I am having an issue with is

Do you think its ok to use baby wipes on the Diva?

It'd be a handy way to clean them in a public restroom.



I'm assuming yes, but thought I'd check.

So I used the divacup for the first time yesterday (after a month long wait) and I loooove it. It worked better than I had thought. I never had a problem getting it to suciton, its like instant. There was no leakage, either. Well... there was but that was because it was full.
I'm just confused on how people change it in a public restroom. Do they just use hand sanitizer for their hands?

And... do you cup users get faster with the insertion/removal with time? I don't want to think that I am going to be as slow as I am with it forever. I've only used it one day and night.
I haven't nixed the pantyliners yet until I get totally comfortable with it. I am going to switch to organic cotton biodegradable ones despite what my mother says.

this is my first cycle using my diva cup. yesterday was my first day which is always very light, so I had no problems. however, today (the second day, which is usually extremely heavy) I experienced quite a bit of leaking. I'm guessing this has something to do with not taking the final insertion step to twist the cup one full rotation. I've found this very difficult to do, so I just try to twist it around a little, then hope for the best. am I supposed to be bearing down when I twist it? is there any other way to check other than rotating it, or is this really as IMPORTANT as the instructions say it is?

also, do you need to wash the diva cup after each time you dump it out? I have no private bathrooms at work, and it is getting to be a huge pain to go to the inconveniently far bathroom that less people use, but still have to remove the cup, zip up my pants, leave the stall, wash the cup, then get back into the stall to insert again. annoying!! can I wipe it off with toilet paper, or is that just asking for some kind of infection??

Hey,
I'm supposed to start my period in the next couple of days(I'm late for once,or I calculated it wrong),and I was wondering whether or not if those couple of days before your period starts if your vagina/cervix changes positions?
I'm doing the dry run since I don't want any surprises...so.

And also,I'm so nervous about using the diva at school (I'm in High School),I've only really had one successful period, which was in July or August..not sure.

The last one was alright,but I'm not sure about this one since I'd actually be doing something besides staying at home doing nothing...

so can you give me some encouragement please?
I really need it.

its only my second cycle with my diva so please bear with me. yesterday was the first time i had to change in a public bathroom and the cup was so full i was scared i was going to spill it all over myself. luckily i didnt but i did spill some on the floor. how do you guys remove your very full cup without it spilling on yourself/ something else? i was standing over the toilet so that i could immediately dump everything in there but i guess it didnt really work.. any tips? also, how do you clean that thing quickly in a public bathroom when its full of blood?! i spent a bunch of time in there trying to get all the blood off the cup and then i just gave up because it kept on slipping out of my hands and the garbage can seemed like i had just performed a surgery in there. help?