Delighted ? I'm over the moon! (The Mooncup)

Member Name: thehonesttruth

Product:	The Mooncup
Date:	19/08/07 (2818 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: eco-friendly, low long term cost, comfortable

Disadvantages: sometimes messy, public awkwardness,

I warn you now, if you are faint hearted or squeamish, you probably don't want to read this review. It's the type of product that necessitates some graphic language, and there are numerous mentions of various body parts and bodily functions throughout.
The moon cup is one of those things that I’d read about on Ciao many times. Mostly the reviews were extremely positive, extolling the benefits of the mooncup, particularly in the areas of health and the environment. In fact, I don’t think that any of the reviews I’ve read on the product were negative. After reading these reviews, I would almost invariably leave a comment such as 'sounds great, must get myself one of these,’ Then I would click, rate, move onto another review that caught my eye and forget about the mooncup almost immediately.

Then, a couple of months ago, I was shopping in the town when I felt an all too familiar wet, sticky sensation in my knickers. No, I hadn't wet myself, but I had started my period, five days early and utterly unequipped for the event. Rushing into the nearest chemists (which happened to be a larger branch of boots), performing desperate pelvic floor exercises all the way in the vain hope of keeping some of the deluge back, I ran straight for the Tampon aisle, but instead of a box of Tampax, my hand fell on the slightly smaller box containing the mooncup...

Deciding that as my knickers were probably bloodied enough already to resemble the aftermath of some bloody battle, I grabbed the mooncup, some panty liners and a packet of disposable paper knickers (a product which I never new existed but saved the day for me), and after paying I hot footed it to the nearest pub, ran into the toilet, closed the door and prepared myself for the experience of inserting the mooncup.

What is the Mooncup?
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The Mooncup is a two inch long silicone rubber cup that is worn internally rather likes a tampon. The difference is, rather than blocking and absorbing the flow the way a tampon does, it actually collects menstrual blood without impeding the flow, which in many cases means your period ends slightly faster. Also, because the mooncup is reusable rather than disposable there is no negative impact on the environment from using this product.

Is it a new invention?
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For some reason many of my friends whom I’ve told about the mooncup seem to be under the impression that the mooncup is a new invention largely used by hippies. In fact, menstrual cups were invented in the 1930s and were in launched in stores at almost the same time as the tampon. At that period of time, it was considered immoral and improper for a woman to touch herself in the vaginal area, so only the most liberal minded women would use menstrual cups in those days, due to the hands on approach to insertion.

However, the inventors of the tampon managed to invent those little plastic applicators that we've all seen floating in a toilet or merrily out to sea at one time or other, so in those times they were the more popular product.

Another reason why the menstrual cup failed to make it big is that while tampons and sanitary towels require repeat purchases month after month, the menstrual cup is designed to last a long time, meaning that inventors were never going to make it rich, and certainly couldn't afford the same level of advertising as tampon manufacturers. And of course, menstruation was never a popular subject for discussion around the dinner table, so word of mouth failed to make it a big seller.

Menstrual cups and other reusable products such as washable sanitary towels began to grow in popularity during the 1980s as more women became environmentally aware and began to search for more eco-friendly (and cheaper) alternatives to disposable products.

But why bother with the mooncup?
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You might be wondering why anyone would bother with the mooncup when tampons and sanitary towels are easily available, cheaper in the short term and without a doubt slightly less messy to use.

Well, I despise sanitary towels, (although i did buy some to use with the mooncup while i got used to it) for a number of reasons. Mainly, because no matter how thin they are I can still feel them in my knickers. I'm almost certain I develop a waddle when wearing them due to the unusual sensation of wearing a mattress between my legs. Plus, the blood comes out of your body, onto the towel, before proceeding to be rubbed all over your pubic hair with every movement, which is surely unhygienic, not to mention messy. They also tend to get bunched up and shifted about when walking, meaning that more often than not I still end up with bloody knickers. And they smell!!! Not to mention the pain when the sticky backing gets attached to your pubic hair, ripping it out by the roots at changing time. Add to this the fact that they are generally not biodegradable, so they end up clogging landfill sites for years and years.

Now Tampons are a much more comfortable affair. Small enough to carry around easily, the blood stays inside, and no sticky pube ripping bits. However, they have their bad points too, the most well known one being toxic shock syndrome, a rare but sometimes deadly condition. When you remove tampons, small fibers can be left inside which as well as being unhygienic and smelly can cause any number of infections. Being absorbent, tampons also deplete the natural moisture in the vagina, meaning that the balance of healthy bacteria may be disturbed. While they claim to be flushable, I always find the applicators float for days in the toilet ball, announcing to the world and his dog that you're waving the red flag.

While tampons and sanitary towels are inexpensive short time at a few pounds a time, bear in mind that the average woman has around 35-40 years of periods to look forward to. 12 of them each year, each lasting between 3-6 days on average. The cost long term is high, hundreds of pounds in fact.

So, longer term, the moon cup is a good bet. It’s reusable, so there is no negative impact on the environment. It costs 17.99, and one mooncup lasts for years so it's a lot cheaper long term

The smooth silicone surface of the Mooncup allows the mucus membranes of your vaginal wall to continue their essential cleansing and protective functions, and because it's smooth silicone, it will not leave any fibres inside you. As well as this, it’s also safe to wear before your period (unlike tampons) which is great if, like me, your period likes to turn up early. You can also wear it longer – whereas with tampon you have to change them every 8 hours, the mooncup is perfectly safe to leave in for longer periods of time, such as overnight, and its capacity is more than most tampons, so it doesn’t need to be changed as often. From my own experience, my periods tend to be a little shorter since using this, perhaps because the flow is not restricted as it is with tampons .

One other big plus is the environment- the average woman has one period a month, lasting 7 days, for 40 years. I personally used 4 tampons a day, so the calculation I came to for my tampon usage over that time is 13,440. A mooncup can last several years, so that’s a lot of landfill I WON’T be causing.

Inserting the Mooncup
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Theres no avoiding the fact that inserting the mooncup is a bit messy. Basically, it’s a small flexible rubber come, and when new it has a long stem at the closed end of it, which the instruction manual tells you to cut to a length that suits you . This pretty much acts like the string on a tampon, making it slightly easier to remove the cup, and also allows you to reposition the cup inside you.

One other thing to note is that the mooncup comes in two sizes - a smaller one for most women, and a larger one for women with looser muscles, perhaps after childbirth etc.

The instructions recommend having a dry run (haha) before your period, just so you are familiar with insertion when the time comes. Well, I had no time for that, so decided to just go for it. Basically, you fold the cup in half, and then in half again, and this makes it about the girth or a tampon, and you insert it in pretty much the same way. Then release the sides and the cup unfolds itself inside you, although it may take a little fiddling with the stem to get it comfortably positioned. You also need to check its fully unfolded, if not it will leak. It basically sits resting in the muscles at the entrance of your vagina, and much like a tampon, you shouldn’t be able to feel it if its in the right place.

Removing the Mooncup
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Changing time is easy – simply remove, empty, rinse and reinsert. Sounds simple enough, but there are some downsides to it.

It takes a little while to get the hang out of removing and emptying it without getting blood over yourself, especially as menstrual blood can be quite thick in texture, and often I find I actually have to wipe it from the cup. Also, occasionally the blood settles at the bottom of the toilet bowl and doesn’t flush cleanly away in one go – which isn’t a huge problem, although it can be a little embarrassing when your boyfriend comments on it!

Rinsing it can be difficult in public toilets also – since you have to leave the cubicle to wash it under the tap. I’ve taken to carrying feminine wipes in my handbag to clean it in public toilets, but alternatively you can carry a small bottle of water with you.

One thing I find hilarious is that occasionally, when you break the vacuum on removal, it makes a sort of farting sound – which then results in me childishly giggling away to myself, no matter how many times it happens. I’m sure people in adjoining cubicles whenever I’ve changed it have wondered what I’m laughing at.

The last small disadvantage is that, since insertion and removal is very much a hands on affair, I do tend to get some blood on my hands, particularly under my fingernails, so I tend to carry a disinfectant hand wash in my bag, as well as a nail brush to remove any blood.

Once your period is over, its time to give the cup a thorough sterilizing – you can do this by boiling for five minutes, or soaking in a cold sterilizing solution, such as Milton. I prefer to do this just after my period, and just before – as the pretty bag given to store the cup is not sterile, I like it to be as clean as it can before use.

Availability
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I purchased mine from Boots some time ago for around £18, and they also have a website, www.Mooncup.co.uk, where you can order it. The website also has loads of information, as well as comments from women all over the world who have used the cup

Conclusion
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I would definitely recommend this – there are a few small tiny disadvantages, mainly to deal with using this in a public bathroom, but the advantages – healthwise, monywise, and for the environment far outweigh these small niggles, and if you’re not squeamish about your own body, then this could be the product for you. I personally found it very comfortable to use, and will continue using it.

Deducting one point for all the small niggles listed under removal, but otheriwse a sound product!

Summary: well worth it- an amazing product