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Challenges and steep learning curve aside, I believe that menstrual cups are the safest and the best option to date. Period(the pun is well-intended). It's reusable, can hold more blood than other methods, does not need to be changed frequently. It truly does check all the boxes with the added bonus of being environmentally friendly. But still, a lot of people have not heard about it or choose to stay ignorant about it due to the taboos associated with it. No one approaches to learn about menstrual cups with an open mind. But why is it so? Why are people so ashamed or, in some cases, scandalized, to talk about it?
Let's break it down bit by bit.
I started using the cup about a year ago—and yes, even my initial reaction to it was also not something I am proud of. My mum and I were very sceptical and in between the process of understanding it better, my mum somehow came across the fact that only married women can use this product (which is definitely not true). And this didn't sit right with me, which is why I decided to do a little research of my own and it hit me that the greatest barrier is who and what our society considers pure or impure.
Here the "who" is a virgin, and the "what" being the concept of the hymen.
Virginity is such a prized possession in some Indian families that the thought of "inserting" something into the vagina over and over again every month is quite scandalous in a conservative country such as ours. It is highly ridiculous to downgrade the classification of who is a virgin and who is not based on the presence of tissue. Even though it has been said repeatedly that hymen can break due to reasons apart from sex or it does not necessarily have to break during the first coitus, people still refuse to change their mindset. And this can be clearly seen from the huge number of 'Can menstrual cups break hymen?' question threads in Quora. To answer this question: yes, the hymen may break during the insertion of menstrual cups, but should this absurd concept of virginity really hinder the ways to access better hygiene and a better future?
Also, by the concept of pure and impure, periods are culturally considered impure. And so for many touching the blood would be another problem since menstrual cups collect the blood rather than absorb it like pads or tampons. This is again not the correct way to view things but these notions are so deep-rooted in our society that unless people want to look at it from another perspective, nothing will change.
If we can get past these huge mental blocks, another reason why women are hesitant to use this product is pain. A lot of them wonder if it is painful to insert the cup up to the cervix. The answer is no. It is not a painful process but a bit uncomfortable at first. There are proper instructions on how to insert it and remove the cups all over the internet and once you find the idle easy it becomes really easy. And when inserted properly you can hardly even feel its presence.
I believe that using a menstrual cup definitely has more pros than cons. It is high time that we approach these issues with an open mind and to stop being ashamed of menstruation and related topics. As an avid cup user, I would really encourage everyone to definitely give it a try.
Your post is very informative and helpful, thank you for addressing the taboos in our society on this topic and raising much needed awareness on menstrual cups, hope this helps girls everywhere...
Thank you for writing this and so aptly addressing all the taboos associated with menstrual cups. I'll surely recommend this to everyone who wants to start using them
Loved reading your post. I'm glad you found the right period product for you.