Hi-ho, hi-ho ladies, I've a couple questions for you knowledgeable people.

I've been a loyal Diva user since April of last year and I recommend it to everyone. One of my friends has expressed enough of an interest that I asked her, "if I bought you a cup for your birthday, would you use it?" She gave me a definite yes to "I would definitely try it". The problem is that she has frequent (or more accurately, persistent and nagging) UTIs and is wary of the friction and pressure that would be on her urethra. How would different cups generally affect this? Are some, like the squishier ones, better than others? Any pros and cons anyone can put on the issue would be great!

I've never had this issue and frankly, it's never even crossed my mind. Now, to segue poorly into my next question, since I don't want to go out and spend $30+ on just any cup for her like I did myself, I want her to be able to choose one she likes and thinks, based on the research she and I will do, will work out best for her. Are there any online stores that will ship to Canada that carry several brands of cups so I can just get her a gift certificate or something to avoid the immediacy of missing her birthday? The only brand that is readily available in person is the Diva.

Thanks!

I've read this commmunity for a while now, but just recently officially joined and this is my first post.

I discovered Instead cups about a year ago and used them for one cycle. I didn't have any problems inserting or anything, but if I moved (bent over, walked around, normal movement) it would bend the ring and spill the entire contents. Not good. So I bought a Diva Cup (Size 1, never been pregnant and at the time was a virgin). I had no problems at all with it and continued to use it for about 5 months or so.

Then I started using the Nuvaring. I stacked my rings, so in the 6 months I was on the Nuvaring, I had like 1 period. I don't think I used to cup. I also became sexually active. On the ring, I started getting chronic UTIs. I never had a UTI before this. I finally switched to the pill because they discovered that the ring was causing some sort of reaction and making my cervix inflamed and irritated.

Since being on the pill (since January), I haven't have anymore UTI problems/symptoms. I figured it was the Nuvaring irritating the area. They said the the severe inflammation can cause your bladder to not fully empty and pinch off the urethra, causing infections. However, I started using the Diva cup for my last period. Everything seemed to be okay. Then I woke up with UTI symptoms, a few weeks after my period. I used the Diva Cup again for my next period (this past week) and towards the last day or so, I noticed some irritation, like a UTI was starting again.

So basically, could the Diva cup be causing the same sort of irritation as the NuvaRing did? Even though I didn't have any problems with the cup before I became sexually active?

I've also read that the Lady Cup is softer and better for people that are prone to UTIs. Anyone made the switch and noticed less irritation?

Thanks for reading/commenting.

hi! i'm on the verge of ordering my first cup -- i couldn't be more excited -- but i'm having the hardest time deciding... and i have a few questions.

so far, it's between the lunette and the ladycup. i was initially just going to get a diva, but the more i dug through the memories here, i found that some diva users had problems with pressure on the urethra and UTIs. i'm extremely prone to UTIs myself, so anything that even hints at causing one is a no go... has anyone had this problem with the lunette and/or ladycup?

other than that, i'm leaning toward the lunette because its capacity is greater than the ladycup, although i might have a day and a half of heavy flow, all told... and it seems to be grippier than the ladycup. but i'm open to any and all suggestions. go on, sway my opinions. :)

thanks in advance!

This month (my third cycle with my Keeper Mooncup), I was starting to think the cup wasn't turning out as great as I'd hoped from my first cycle.  I had more cramping, more leakage (I thought), more problems urinating, and a longer cycle.

Except that today, two days after my period, I realized that there was a significant amount of blood in my urine.  So I went to see a doctor and got diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.  And now I'm starting to doubt that the Mooncup was the problem.  I think I may have been having trouble urinating four days ago, but blamed it on my cup being positioned wrong.  I thought my cup was leaking every time I peed.  In the past, when my cup was full, it would usually leak when I peed, presumably because it was getting squished.  But now I'm starting to think that there was actually blood in my urine for the past few days and I mistook it for menstrual blood.

I'm kind of glad to think that it may not have been my cup that was bothering me, though I'm hoping the cup usage isn't a contributing factor to the UTI.

Okay, I wanted to thank all of the replies from my last post. It's amazing how much you all know. :)
And I come back with another question. :P So I wanted to see how I did getting the cup out. I got it out without much pain but I was so focused on it not hurting that I totally flew blood everywhere (the floor, the wall, the sink, you name it and there was blood)... that was sort of embarrassing and gross even though no one saw it but me. Then I spent maybe a minute getting it back in (I was sort of in a hurry). Apparently it didn't pop open enough to make a seal. Which I found out about an hour ago. It was actually painful because of it and burned a little. I went back to the bathroom and spent at least 20 minutes trying to get it back in. I would get it in and it absolutely would not seal itself. I tried all the different folding techniques, I tried using cold water, hot water, crouching down, propping one leg up on the sink, tried twisting the stem, tried squeezing the base, tried pushing it in as far as I could get it, and just nothing would work. I had to have put it in and taken it out at least 15 times, and it just won't be nice and work for me.
Another question that I had while browsing the memories... how likely is it to get a UTI from the cup? I'm not really that prone to them (which is why I don't feel the question in the memories really helps me) but I've gotten a few. I get them usually if I don't pee after sex. Is there a way to lessen the risk without a prescription of something? I was diagnosed last Monday, May 5th, with a UTI and have been taking amoxacillin for it, and maybe it is just from all of the abuse from my not knowing how to use the divacup right, but I feel like it's coming back.
So again, your help is super appreciated. :)

[EDIT]I finally found a way to make it work! Basically, I just have to do it while laying down. When I first did it I was laying down in the shower, and I've done it twice while laying on my bed. So I guess I'll just have to do that until I'm comfortable with it, then try other ways.

I've been using my DivaCup for about 6 months now.
The past two months, I've got what feels like a urinary tract infection from it's use. The first time I left it in too long (18 hours), so I assumed that was what was wrong. The second time it was in for only about 6 hours, with a light flow.
I wash it with soap in the shower every night, and rinse it when I remove it during the day. What else should I be doing to prevent recurring infections?
I checked the memories and there were some tips but no washing tips....

I still am never 100% confident with the Diva as I get leaks frequently, but still like it a whole lot better than tampons. =)

I've been using my Diva Cup for about a year now. Three months ago, I was smitten. It worked perfectly, it felt great, it was convenient, clean, healthy for my vagina, healthy for the earth, all that. At the end of my cycle, the cup smelled a little earthy, mineral-y and not at all unpleasant. I would boil it and it was good to go for the next round. I couldn't find a downside. But then I got a new boyfriend and we started having sex without condoms. 

I first noticed a problem when I put my cup in (after sex and after peeing directly after the sex) and left it there for the 24 hours that normally works for me. I've never had a problem leaving it in this long. When I took it out it smelled disgusting. Like cheesy, rotting, gross. So I boiled it with baking soda and got it ready for next time. I think at that time I was at the end of my cycle so I didn't put it back in. What followed was 2 weeks of a UTI followed by a yeast infection and just overall uncomfortableness in the area. So I realized that wasn't a good idea. For the next two periods I wait about ten minutes for initial leakage, which I then wipe up. I also make sure to pee. Then I pop the cup in. Two hours later I take it out and rinse, and again two hours after that. Then I change it every twelve hours, if it is that long before I have sex again - otherwise I just repeat the two hour cycle. 

The last two cycles I've had hints of UTIs which have been easily quashed with large amounts of cranberry juice. But there's also been a bad smell both in the cup and in my vagina. This time around the smell of the cup was so bad (like a particular Danish cheese that I love to eat, not to have inside my girlparts) that I just used pads for the rest of my cycle, as that was all I had. And my vagina just sort of constantly smells like I haven't washed it in 3 days, even right after a shower. 

Am I allergic to sperm? Did I have an STD? Have I just had three unlucky coincidences? I love my cup so much and I don't want to give her up but this isn't any fun!

Hi!
I have just started with a Diva cup (size 2, as I have a baby) and my first cycle was up and down with it. First I was happy because I have no problems to either insert or remove it. But on the first day (heaviest) it leaked all the time, though it wasn't full. I blame it partly on me probably putting it wrong (and not obtaining the seal) and also I noticed the holes were easily clogged. I have researched on this community but I am not sure of what exactly the role of these holes is. Is the seal broken when they get clogged? How could I prevent them from clogging? Would enlarging them help? I am French and in France it is very uncommon to have the toilet in the bathroom so when I want to clean it I have to run half naked to the sink and back to the loo. I tried in the shower but for some reason whereas everything goes smoothly in the loo I can't even put it in in the shower.

However the other days went smoother. I am a bit puzzled to see that it sits very very low (the stem is actually peeking out), even if I try to insert it higher. It is not really uncomfortable (I'll probably end up trimming the whole stem to help as I don't really use it for removal) but I was wondering if it could cause leaking.

After three days of wearing it day and night, even though it was not painful in any way, I just felt like not putting it back. I have to say it kind of "bothers" my urethra, as I find peeing more difficult and also it feels kind of weird (difficult to explain). It is certainly more comfortable than tampons, but before the diva I did not use tampons all the time, always resorting to pads at some point. I guess my body has to adjust to the cup being there but I was wondering if someone else experienced this too. Today I tried it again, it's fine but yet I feel my urethra is "not so happy" (not so easy to describe, especially as English is not my mother tongue).

Thanks in advance for your help!

ps : i posted by mistake an incomplete version of this post, I'll try to remove it and hope it hasn't caused too much inconvenience.

But I had a few questions. My doctor thinks I may have Interstitial Cystitis. Anyone here familiar with that diagnosis or care to message me regarding what I am possibly getting into here? Will the pressure that the diva puts on my urethra (urinating is a little more difficult with it in) aggravate the UTI symptoms I already have worse?

Also, the doctors incorrectly gave me antibiotics for what they thought was a UTI, and it ended up unbalancing things down there. My doctor put me on a cream to help, for 5 days, and go figure, these are the 5 days my period is likely to be flowing. The cream I am on is metronidazole. Will it damage my cup? They already advise me to wear pads purely because there is an awful lot of this cream and supposedly it stains things. I just want to know if I need to wear pads throughout my period, or can I use my cup? Thanks guys!

I recently bought a Divacup and I am very excited to use it. However, I am very prone to bladder infections and, more recently, prone to yeast infections (ugh). I was wondering if Dr. Bronner's unscented baby formula liquid soap would be suitable to use to clean my cup during my cycle. I'm afraid regular washing with soap will cause the natural chemicals in my vagina to react (i.e. infection). But, I'm also afraid that hot water alone will not ward off bacteria. I really want the Divacup to work out for me as I do not want to add anymore waste to the environment or deal with the harsh makeup of tampons any longer.

Is anyone here using a cup also prone to bladder and yeast infections? How do you deal with yours?

Or maybe this is just going to be a trial and error situation for me?

Hello everyone!  This is my first post, and I've really appreciated having this community to read about menstrual cups.  I'm in the middle of my first period using the Diva Cup, and I've had no problems specifically with it so far.  Its great!  Unfortunately, I've also been diagnosed with a particularly nasty and long lasting UTI, involving 5 strains of e. coli I've apparently been harboring in my bladder since February (long story.  well, medium length story).  I've seen the doctor and am on antibiotics, but I'm worried about any possibility of recontamination by using my cup during my next cycle.  I plan on boiling it (or at least pour boiling water on it) at the end of this cycle.  I was wondering if there was anything else I should or could do to kill off any remaining bacteria?  I realize I might be a little overly paranoid about this, but... this sucks!  I don't want to go through it again if I can possibly help it.  Thank you!

I just started using Instead cups, and...they're all right. They're kind of messy and a little bit difficult to insert and take out, but HUGE step up from pads.

I tried looking in the recent posts about this, but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I wore one cup all day yesterday, and last night when I went to go pee, peeing hurt a little bit, and it was just a little bit harder to do. I took the cup out, rinsed it clean, then reinserted it, something I read here was OK to do. This morning, after wearing the Instead cup all night, difficulty peeing increased a tiny bit. But it almost seems like I'm getting a UTI. But I didn't have one before, and in some of the previous posts it seems like menstrual cups aggravate UTIs, not cause them. Maybe the cup is putting pressure on my urethra? But how can it do that if it's snuggled all up close to my cervix?

What does everyone here think? Does it sound like a UTI? Should I take the cup out?

Hi, I'm a new member of this community, though I've poked around in it in the past. I have a couple of questions that I didn't see answered in memories.

I have a mooncup (the small size, can't remember if it's A or B). I've had it for about six months. I don't use it exclusively since it's taking me a bit of time to get used to it. But I wear it for some of the time every month. Practice makes perfect, right?

Anyway my questions.

1) I did the whole gradual trimming of stem thing to try to find the right length. Now I think I've cut it to short. For others who have done this, did you just get a new one? Or just make do with a short stem? It's not that big a deal really, but the reason I ask is because I think it might be related to question 2.

2) I am patently unable to remove my mooncup without spilling it all over the place. Which is less than pleasant and part of the reason I don't use it exclusively (not a great situation in public restrooms!!). At the very least, I always drip a few spots on the floor. This happens no matter whether it is full or only has a little in it. I have tried rocking it back and forth so that it comes out level instead of at an angle. This helps, but I still spill it. Am I just a clumsy moron (which is entirely possible)? Or is there a trick to this that I'm not doing? Also, because my stem is shorter than I would like, I have to really squat and bear down to get ahold of it, which I think might be part of the problem. Urgh.

3) My cycle basically goes as follows: crampy medium flow day, very very heavy day, optional medium flow day, light day. I am VERY grateful both for the brevity of my period and the predictability of it. However, I find that I really can't use the mooncup on my second day (the very very heavy day). It fills up so fast that I end up having to empty it as fast or faster than I would have to change a big ol' tampon, which is not just inconvenient, it's also irritating for my urethra. (I am very susceptible to UTIs). I do urinate after putting it in for this issue and it does help, but I can only pee so many times a day. Is there any advice on this? I am not really sure that there's much that can be done about that except to wear heavy-duty backup (which kinda defeats the purpose) or not use the mooncup on those days.

I want desperately to love my mooncup! But right now I only kinda sorta like the idea of it. Help!

I got my divacup back in 2004 and used it for about 18 months. Recently I've had to stop because it was causing quite a bit of pain, and also I had been having chronic bladder infections (I think it damaged my urethra). Has anyone else heard of these problems with menstral cups? I haven't had any bladder infections since I've stopped using it, thankfully.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

I get UTI's rarely these days. Experience has taught me that certain behaviors either prevent one from starting or get rid of one that's starting. This time around, though, I wasn't so cautious, and now I'm fighting a stubborn UTI right around the period-time.

Lemme tellya, as much as I love my divacup, it hasn't been a good idea to try using it while I'm treating a UTI. Even though I'm finding myself hating my dependence on pads this month, I truly miss the convenience and cleanliness of using a cup to manage my flow. I broke down on my heavy day and used the cup, which was fine until I tried to sleep with it in (I sleep on my belly, so a full cup must have put pressure in a place that aggravated something). Now I'm back to pads, and hoping I get a chance to treat my UTI properly very soon (since it's taking a lot longer than it usually does to heal).

I now appreciate my divacup more than ever. Too bad it took a UTI to make me realize it. (I've been a diva user for almost a year)

A bit of background: I am EXTREMELY prone to UTIs. I'm in a long-distance relationship and would get one nearly every time I saw the boy (even when doing all of the "right" stuff to prevent them). It's gotten much better since a doctor gave me Macrobid to take after sex to ward off UTIs.

So this month was my first using a Divacup, and I think in time I will love it. I was very careful to wash my hands before inserting and removing it, yet I still wound up with a raging UTI by the end of my period. Any suggestions? Anyone with frequent UTIs have similar problems? I really WANT to like my Divacup!