Whatsapp 94 763 488622
English
සිංහල / தமிழ் / English

Menstrual Cup

Menstrual Cup, or Period Cup is a menstrual hygiene product made of silicone or natural rubber that is designed to be inserted into the vagina to collect menstrual blood.

An major advantage of the menstrual cup is that it can be worn for 8-10 hours comfortably and safely. If you experience heavy bleeding, you can remove the cup and reinsert it every 6 hours.

Menstrual Cups are now marketed in Sri Lanka and have begun to prove popular among women and girls who understand how they work.

When were menstrual cups invented?

Menstrual cups have been around since the 1800s. The first menstrual cup, patented in 1867, was a rubber sack attached to a rubber ring.

In 1937, an American actor named Leona Chalmers patented the first commercially available menstrual cup, designing something that would fit in with her on-the-move lifestyle. Her design was very similar to some of the bell-shaped menstrual cups we have today. However, manufacturing it was hard, as it was made of rubber, a scarce material during World War II.

In the 1960s, Chalmers tried again, partnering with a bigger menstrual products company to produce the cup. But women found it too rigid and embarrassing to insert, so it was not a success. In the early 2000s, menstrual cups were reintroduced, this time in a softer silicone form, which helped them find a bigger consumer market.

Read the instructions that come with your cup. If you’re taking the cup out of its packaging, wash it with soap and water and dry it before using it for the first time.

How to insert a menstrual cup

  • Wash your hands well with soap and water.
  • Apply a thin layer of a water-based lubricant to the rim of the cup or just wet it. This will make it easier to put in. So, some people prefer to insert the cup in the shower.
  • Tightly fold the menstrual cup (using one of the methods below), keeping the rim side up.
  •  Insert it inside your vagina, just like you would a tampon without an applicator. You might find it easier to insert the cup squatting, sitting on the toilet, or with one leg up. Slide the folded cup in toward your tailbone at roughly a 45-degree angle.
  • Once inside, your cup should spring open and rest against the walls of your vagina. It forms a seal to prevent leaks. The blood then simply drips into the cup.
  • If the cup doesn’t open or feels uncomfortable, try to rotate it a little. Used correctly, you shouldn’t feel it.
3 Common Menstrual Cup Folds
The C fold: Flatten the cup and then fold it in half, so the rim looks like a C. You might find the cup pops into place most easily from this position.
The 7 fold: Bend one corner of the rim to form the shape of the number 7, creating a narrower entry point.The punch-down fold: Use your index finger to hold down one side of the cup. This also creates a smaller entry point and lets you keep the fold in place as you guide the cup inside.

How to remove a menstrual cup
  • Wash your hands clean with soap and water.
  • Sit (or squat) in a comfortable position.
  • Insert your index finger and thumb into your vagina and locate the cup’s stem or bottom. Don’t pull the stem. Just above it, you’ll feel the cup base. Gently pinch it to break the seal and remove it. If it’s not coming out, use your pelvic floor muscles to push the cup down, then reach up and grab the stem and pinch the base.
  • Keep the cup upright to avoid spills. Once it’s out, empty the contents into the toilet.
  • Wash it out with soap and water.
  • Sterilise for two minutes in boiling water, wait until it cools and reinsert as per instructions above.

FAQs

 

 

 

Social Share: