This is part of a regular segment called “You want to know WHAT?!” where we answer some of the questions we get from readers. Have a question? Email us.
[Gentlemen, you may want to skip today's post. It is likely far more information than you ever wanted to know about the time of the month you want to avoid anyway. Feel free to skip down to the comments to suggest a "men only" topic for Warren to address.]
Question: How will you handle having your period on the road?
Answer: You’d be amazed at how often I get this question. And truthfully, I had not even considered it early on. But after doing a little bit of research, I found that in many places in South America tampons are unavailable or scarce. Not only that, but will I really want to give up precious space in my backpack to carry a supply of something I’ll only need a few days a month?
A potential solution seems to be the Mooncup. It is a small silicone cup that is worn internally during your period. You simply wash it out and re-use it.
This appeals to me for a few reasons:
- Fewer chemicals in my body – Tampons may contain pesticides and bleach from the growing and processing of cotton. Ewww. My friend Jude has been preaching about chemicals for some time, and a lot of what she says makes sense.
- Convenience - With a silicone cup in my backpack, I won’t have to trudge around looking for tampons when it is not convenient to do so. Space is obviously a concern, and while tampons don’t take up a ton of room, there isn’t a lot of room to begin with. A single silicone cup will take up almost no space.
- Less waste – Tampons produce less waste than pads, but there is still a significant amount of waste piling up in landfills and sewage plants. Reusing a menstrual cup each month means zero waste in the sewers and landfills.
I’ve had both good and bad reports about the Mooncup – some women swear they’d never go back to tampons, and one told me it was too messy for her.
My experience with the Mooncup
I ordered my own silicone Mooncup and recently tried it for the first time. It was a little tricky to use at first, but I finally got the hang of it (it comes with a diagram to help with insertion and removal).
What I didn’t like was that it was a bit messy at initial insertion, but it was less over time as I got used to it. And if you don’t “seat it” right you will be able to feel the stem, though it doesn’t hurt.
I’ve only used it for one cycle and plan to try it a few more times before making my final decision. I didn’t have any spotting with running or yoga, but I did once overnight. I may not have had it seated properly, though.
At this point, I would consider it a backup solution if I do not have tampons available, but over time I may change my mind and consider it my permanent solution. It will mainly depend on where we are traveling and what kind of access I have in both supplies and facilities.
Have you ever tried a menstrual cup before? What was your experience?
About Betsy
I’ve had a Mirena IUD for 8 years. No cycles, no products to worry about. I know other things can be used for the same effect as well including products like Seasonique, taken non-stop.
I’ve never heard of this before but definitely sounds like a good alternative. Tampons are especially difficult to find overseas, especially those with applicators. I find they usually take up half of my pack!
Nice post for the ladies! This is a concern for me as well for traveling and a potential overseas move. You are right, tampons are difficult to find in SA, and EXPENSIVE! I have decided to purchase a Diva Cup and will be trying it out next month. It just seems easier. We’ll see how it goes…
I’ve been using a Diva Cup for the past year and a half and I love it! It can definitely be a bit messier, but it’s much for convenient for an active lifestyle – no leakage with swimming, running, climbing. Plus, there’s the fact that it’s chemical-free and collects your cycle in a much more natural way than a tampon. But the insertion process does take some getting used to…
I use the DivaCup as well. There’s also one called the Keeper, I believe. I think it works well. I haven’t had problems with leakage at all. Sometimes it is a bit uncomfortable, but just needs to be adjusted. I definitely prefer it to tampons for the amount of waste. Just make sure to clean it thoroughly in between uses.
Wow – glad to hear some of you are using these! I hope my experience mirrors Shelly and Hannah.
Good points from Shannon about other solutions to having a period. I had a tubal ligation so I don’t need an IUD, and hormones are too harsh for my blood pressure these days (the reason I got the tubal, actually). But for many people these will be good options.
Thanks for the input, Michaela. I don’t think the menstrual cups are any messier to use than non-applicator tampons, and they won’t take up nearly as much space in your backpack.
And Laura, I had never even considered PRICE (I know, can you believe it?). It makes sense if they are scarce that they would be more expensive.
Thanks for your input, ladies. Anyone else have experience with this?
I’ve been using my Diva Cup for over 6 years now and I absolutely love it. It really doesn’t take that long to get the hang of inserting it and I find it so comfortable I forget it’s in (the rest of my period ickies won’t let me off the hook though)!
Saved a bundle over the price of tampons over the years too! I was a convert after my first cycle and have only had 3 leakage incident, two of those overnight because I forgot to empty it before bed (very, very heavy flow).
I rave about it any time the subject comes up and converted a few friends, one of which is now almost cramp-free after 20 years of monthly torture! It doesn’t help everyone’s crampiness, and I myself never had that problem, but she’s thrilled!
I tried the Keeper a few years ago and didn’t like it. The mess wasn’t the issue. I found it leaked, so I still needed to use a back-up pad or panty liner with it. I also found I had more cramps with it — I generally have this problem if I use tampons rather than pads, but even more so with the Keeper. It’s too bad, I was very motivated to have this work out for me. I now use washable cloth pads at home and disposables when I’ll be out for awhile.
I also switched to the Diva Cup before leaving for our travels and now I’d never use anything else. It’s comfortable, easy to carry and super cheap. It took a cycle or two to really get used to it, but it was worth it.